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JUH  1 3  1981 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 
LIBRARY, 

— — mmmmmmmmmmmmmm—mmmmmmmm 

JH398.2 
Johnson 


DATE  DUE 

26  1-2  500 

Primed 
■oUSA 

£t^£i 


*^Z— 


THE  CATSKILL  FAIRIES. 


£.     V 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://www.archive.org/details/catskillfairiesOOjohn 


the 


J  A 


CATSKILL    FAIRIES. 


By  VIRGINIA  W.  JOHNSON, 


AUTHOR    OF 


'JOSEPH   THE   JEW,"   "A    SACK   OF   GOLD,"  "THE   CALDERWOOD    SECRET,"  "KETTLE 

CLUB   SERIES,"  &c,  &c. 


ILLUSTRATED    BY  ALFRED    FREDERLCKS. 


N  E  W    YORK: 
HARPER     &     B  R  0  T  H  E  R  S.    P  U  BLISHE  R  S, 

F  R  A  N  K  I.  T  X      SQUARE 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by 

HARPER   &    BROTHERS, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


CONTENTS. 


Pack 

All  about  Job 1 1 

The  Old  Clock  Tells  a  Story 22 

Adventures  of  a  Sea- Shell 26 

How  Biorn   Discovered    America 30 

One  of  a  Cat's  Lives 35 

The  Oak -Tree  Sprite 42 

Rapp,  the  Gnome  King 57 

Nip's  Story 80 

The  Green   Belt 90 

The  House  that  Jacques  Built 111 

The  Fairy   Regatta 114 

The  Dove  Maiden 121 

The  First  Cocoa-nut 153 


THE    CATSKILL    FAIRIES. 


ALL   ABOUT  JOB. 

"Are  you  afraid  to  stay  alone?" 
asked  Grandfather,  drawing  the 
buffalo-robe  over  his  knees,  and 
taking  the  reins. 

"  Not  a  bit  afraid,"  said  Job, 
sturdily,  with  all  a  boy's  indigna- 
tion at  the  charge  of  cowardice. 


12  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

"  You  are  twelve  years  old,  and  almost  a  man !  Well — take 
care  of  the  cow,  and  don't  forget  the  fowls.  I  shall  be  back  by 
noon,  mebbe." 

Then  the  old  wagon  creaked  away  down  the  hill,  moving  as 
if  it  had  rheumatism  in  all  its  joints,  the  white  horses  jogged  off 
soberly,  the  rim  of  Grandfather's  hat  disappeared,  and  Job  was 
left  alone. 

The  boy  was  half  afraid  all  the  same.  There  was  not  a  living 
soul  left  on  the  mountain  besides  Job,  after  Grandfather  had 
gone.  When  one  is  only  twelve  years  old,  and  is  left  in  this 
way,  one  must  feel  rather  queer  at  first — at  least  Job  did,  and 
that  is  all  we  can  know  about  it.  He  stood  in  the  road  until 
the  last  sound  of  the  wagon  had  died,  away  in  silence,  and  at 
that  moment  a  little  shiver  of  loneliness  crept  down  his  back, 
and  he  did  not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  cry.  Something 
white  and  soft  brushed  against  him;  it  was  the  Angora  cat. 
You  must  not  suppose  that  she  was  an  every-day  sort  of  tabby, 
such  as  is  found  in  all  farm-houses :  she  was  very  different  from 
common  animals,  as  we  shall  presently  see.  At  that  moment 
the  cow  lowed  in  her  shed,  in  a  friendly  way.  Job  laughed  in- 
stead of  crying. 

"  He's  gone,"  said  the  lad  aloud.  "  Now,  Kitty,  let  us  have 
our  supper." 

He  decided  to  prepare  the  evening  meal  just  because  he  did 
not  know  what  else  to  do.  The  cat  was  placed  in  a  chair, 
while  he  spread  the  board ;  and  as  her  table  manners  were  very 
elegant,  she  merely  sat  there  winking  sleepily  instead  of  trying 
to  dab  her  paws  into  the  dishes. 

"  This  is  better  than  living  in  the  woods— isn't  it,  puss,"  said 


Shutting-iip  for  the  Night.  13 

Job,  pouring  some  milk  in  a  saucer.  "  How  cold  you  looked 
that  September  morning,  after  the  frost,  when  I  found  you  on 
the  edge  of  the  ravine." 

"  Miouw  !"  replied   the  Angora  cat. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  continued  Job,  as  he  cut  a  slice  of  bread  for 
himself.  "  If  you  had  not  come  to  me,  Tom  Smithers  would 
have  caught  you,  and  carried  you  down  the  mountain  to  all  his 
brothers  and  sisters — and  a  nice  life  they  would  have  led  you. 
The  baby  would  have  pulled  off  your  tail  the  first  thing,  and 
how  would  you  have  looked  without  your  tail  ?  There !  eat 
your  milk." 

It  really  seemed  as  if  the  Angora  understood  every  word 
that  Job  said,  for  she  gave  a  little  leap  in  the  air,  purred  vio- 
lently, and  proceeded  to  eat  daintily.  After  that  the  cow  was 
made  comfortable  for  the  night,  the  hen-house  barred  securely, 
so  that  no  stray  fox  might  steal  in,  and  fresh  wood  brought 
from  the  wood-pile  for  the  fire.  There  was  nothing  more  to 
be  done  before  going  to  bed,  and  Grandfather  as  well  as  Job 
was  usually  asleep  as  soon  as  the  chickens — but  then  the  earli- 
est cock  that  crowed  did  not  catch  them  napping  in  the  morn- 
ing. Before  closing  the  house  door,  he  paused  one  moment  to 
look  at  the  sky,  which  was  flooded  with  gold  from  the  setting 
sun.  Job  was  a  very  ignorant  child,  but  he  knew  that  far 
away  down  the  path  of  shining  Hudson  River  was  a  great  city 
and  the  sea.  This  city  he  had  never  seen,  which  was  not  very 
strange,  since  a  great  many  grown  people  living  back  among 
those  Catskill  Mountains  were  equally  unlearned.  It  was  the 
last  of  December  ;  summer  had  faded,  but  the  autumn  had  been 
long   and   mild.     The   mountains   towered   up   blue   and   grand 


H 


The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


against  the  heavens,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  snow  would  never 
come  from  the  bleak  North  this  year.  Here  and  there  the  hills 
had  a  white  line  on  their  slopes,  as  if  they  had  trimmed  their 
robes  with  ermine,  yet  the  peaks  were  still  uncovered. 


Far  down  in  the  shadowy  hollow  was  the  spot  where  Rip 
Van  Winkle  had  slept  for  twenty  years,  according  to  the  le- 
gend. All  through  the  leafy  Junes,  the  glowing  Octobers,  when 
the  woods  burned  in  scarlet  and  crimson,  and  the  cold,  silent 
winter,  Rip  must  have  slumbered.  No  wonder  he  was  stiff 
when  he  awoke  at  last.  Job  had  been  to  the  very  spot,  and 
tried  to  feel  sleepy  also.  Grandfather  said  the  story  was  all 
nonsense,  yet  somehow  Job  believed  it.  Yes,  and  far  away, 
over  on  the  brink  of  a  distant  precipice,  was  the  hotel,  now  de- 
serted and  gloomy,  where  the  gay  people  flocked  in  the  warm 
weather.     Job  would  hide  behind  the  bushes,  like   a  shy,  wild 


'Job's  Portrait.  15 

animal,  and  watch  these  strangers,  wondering  much  .that  they 
cared  to  gather  the  wild  flowers  and  mosses  which  he  never 
noticed.  What  fun  it  would  be  if  a  bear  should  come  up  the 
path,  only  all  the  bears  were  gone.  There  was  not  even  a 
rabbit  to  be  seen.  If  a  pedler  should  pass,  Job  would  invite 
him  to  stay  and  rest.  A  pedler's  pack  was  to  Job  what  a 
dry-goods  store  is  to  a  city  boy. 

He  went  into  the  house,  bolted  the  door,  and  crept  into  bed, 
where  he  soon  fell  fast  asleep,  with  the  Angora  cat  curled  up 
comfortably  beside  him. 

Now  we  must  paint  our  hero's  portrait,  because  we  can  feel 
but  little  interest  in  the  hero,  if,  in  these  days  of  photograph}-, 
we  do  not  know  exactly  howr  he  looked.  Job  was  a  strong, 
active  boy,  and  his  face  was  as  brown,  his  cheeks  as  red,  as  the 
sun  and  the  wind  could  make  them.  He  wore  a  battered  hat. 
when  he  remembered  to  put  it  on,  and  a  jacket  made  of  Grand- 
father's old  plum-colored  coat,  with  the  tails  cut  off:  Grand- 
father being  a  tailor  after  his  own  fashion.  When  spring  came 
he  tossed  his  heavy  shoes  into  a  cupboard,  and  ran  about  bare- 
footed, until  the  frost  compelled  him  to  seek  them  once  more. 

He  had  been  sent  to  the  little  red  school-house  three  miles 
away,  where  he  learned  to  read  and  wrrite.  Nobody  knows 
wrhat  strange  fancies  came  into  his  head  about  the  clouds  and 
the  moon,  living  up  there  alone  with  Grandfather.  This  may 
seem  rather  a  sad,  dreary  life  to  the  little  men  who  were  born 
in  merry,  crowded  nurseries,  yet  it  is  astonishing  how  much 
Job  found  to  amuse  him.  Indeed,  he  seldom  played  with  other 
children,  and  did  not  miss  them. 

There  was  the  early  breakfast  to  get,  and  the  dishes  to  clear 


1 6  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

away  afterwards ;  then  the  cow  must  be  driven  to  the  pasture, 
where  the  mountain  grass  made  her  yield  such  sweet  milk. 
After  that  Job  could  run  wild  among  the  rocks  all  the 
morning,  setting  snares  for  birds,  searching  for  hidden  nests, 
and  fishing  for  trout  in  the  clear  brooks,  which  leaped  from 
stone  to  stone  with  gleeful  music.  Nor  did  his  resources  fail 
him  in  winter,  when  the  wild  storms  kept  him  in-doors.  Then 
he  listened  to  Grandfather's  stories  about  Indians  and  rattle- 
snakes, or  read  the  few  tattered  volumes  their  library  boasted. 
Better  still  was  it  to  retreat  to  the  store-room,  where  their  pro- 
visions were  kept  as  carefully  as  if  they  were  in  a  besieged 
city,  and  draw  figures  on  the  door  with  a  bit  of  charcoal  for  a 
pencil.  These  crooked,  wavy  lines  meant  to  the  young  artist 
the  horses  and  people  of  the  city. 

Grandfather  was  a  bent,  wrinkled  old  man,  who  smoked  a 
pipe,  and  grumbled  — but  he  was  kind  for  all  that.  Job  did  not 
take  scoldings  to  heart,  for  he  knew  very  well  that  Grand- 
father was  fond  of  him  as  the  only  relative  left  him  in  the 
world.  When  one  lives  in  a  small  house  alone  on  a  mountain, 
one  has  to  learn  to  do  everything :  Grandfather  sewed,  made 
famous  bread,  and  churned  the  butter.  If  Job  had  been  used 
to  any  other  housewife,  he  must  have  found  it  very  funny  to 
see  Grandfather  sweep  the  rag-carpet  with  his  spectacles  on ; 
but  to  the  boy  this  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world. 

The  mildness  of  December  had  tempted  Grandfather  to 
make  one  more  visit  to  the  village,  for  when  the  storms  came 
they  were  cut  off  completely  from  all  intercourse  with  the  val- 
leys by  the  deep  snow-drifts.  He  went  to  buy  some  food,  and 
to  cross  the  river  to  Germantown,  where  a  farmer  owed  him  a 


The  Snow -Storm.  17 

little  money.  These  dollars  must  be  got,  and  hidden  away  in 
an  old  pocket-book  for  the  time  when  Job  would  be  a  man. 
If  Job  had  gone  as  well,  who  would  have  taken  care  of  the 
cow  and  the  fowls  ? 

Next  morning  Job  was  awakened  by  the  Angora  cat.  Pussy 
had  jumped  on  his  breast,  and  was  licking  his  cheek  with  a  lit- 
tle red  tongue.  The  fact  of  the  matter  was,  she  had  been  up 
a  long  while,  and  was  becoming  very  much  bored,  as  well  as 
hungry.  Job  sprang  out  of  bed,  and  ran  into  the  kitchen. 
Something  strange  had  happened  !  The  old  clock  ticked 
solemnly  in  the  corner,  pointing  a  hand,  as  if  in  reproof,  at 
the  hour  of  ten.  Yes,  it  was  ten  o'clock,  and  Job  had  never 
slept  so  late  before.  The  kitchen  looked  just  the  same.  There 
was  the  little  table  by  the  window,  where  Grandfather's  large 
Bible  lay,  and  the  shelf  above,  with  the  conch-shell  on  it.  The 
fire  was  out,  and  it  was  dreadfully  cold.  Job  pulled  aside  the 
curtain,  and  peeped  out.  All  the  world  had  grown  white.  It 
was  snowing.  While  he  slept  the  storm  had  come,  filling  the 
ravines,  covering  the  low  shrubbery,  and  crowning  the  mount- 
ains with  fleecy  masses.  Job  was  not  afraid  of  the  snow  ;  he 
was  used  to  it.  He  kindled  a  fire,  and  both  he  and  the  cat 
warmed  themselves.  Next  he  tried  to  open  the  house  door, 
and  found  it  already  banked  up  by  a  drift.  Job's  face  grew 
very  long.  How  should  he  reach  the  cow  ?  There  was  food 
and  wood  enough  in  the  house  to  keep  him  alive,  but  the  cow 
must  not  starve.  The  cottage  was  small  and  poor,  consisting 
of  two  rooms,  and  an  attic  above.  Job  ran  up-stairs,  and  looked 
out  of  the  attic  window.  He  there  saw  a  gray  sky,  the  air 
misty  with   falling   flakes,  and   the   wide   sheet   of  snow   below. 

B 


i8 


The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


At  the  back  of  the  house  the  snow  was  not  equally  deep,  the 
building  being  an  obstacle  to  the  growing  mass.  What  do 
you  suppose  he  did  ?  He  went  down-stairs  again,  put  on  his 
boots,  wrapped  his  neck  in  a  woollen  comforter,  took  the  shovel, 
and  jumped  out  of  the  window  to  make  a  path  to  the  cow-shed. 
The  poor  cow,  supposing  that  she  was  never  to  have  her 
breakfast,   mooed    dismally.      Job    worked    with    all   his    might. 


Sometimes  the  cat  sprang  on  the  window-ledge  to  watch  him, 
but  she  took  very  good  care  not  to  wet  her  dainty  paws  by 
skipping  out-of-doors.  At  last  the  path  was  finished,  and  Job 
fed  the  hungry  animal.  As  he  did  so  he  heard  the  flapping 
of  wings,  and  the  cocks  crowed  dolefully  in  the  dark  hen- 
house, where  they  supposed  it  was  still  night.  He  had  forgot- 
ten them  until  that  moment.     Dear  me  !  what  was  to  be  done  ? 


The  Old  Clock  Bewitched.  19 

Job  could  not  leave  the  poor  biddies  to  die,  when  lie  had  seen 
every  one  of  them  come  from  the  egg — wee  bundles  of  clown. 
The  hen-house  was  more  difficult  to  reach  than  the  cow's 
residence.  Job's  arms  ached,  and  his  feet  were  cold,  yet  he 
took  up  the  shovel  valiantly,  and  began  to  dig  again.  What 
with  running  to  and  fro,  back  to  the  house  to  thaw  numb 
fingers  at  the  fire,  getting  meals,  and  continuing  to  make  paths, 
it  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  Job  had  finished  his  labors. 
He  was  able  to  throw  corn  to  the  chickens  only  by  climbing 
on  a  snow-mound,  and  scattering  it  through  the  small  window 
of  the  hen-house.  The  fowls  did  not  know  what  to  make  of 
it ;  they  cocked  their  heads  sideways  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  day- 
light. While  at  work  Job  had  been  quite  happy ;  when  it 
was  over  he  began  to  feel  frightened.  The  storm  was  in- 
creasing, the  wind  commenced  to  moan.  Grandfather  could 
not  force  his  way  back  up  the  mountain  while  it  lasted,  and 
that  Job  very  well  knew.  The  boy  sat  down  in  Grandfather's 
chair,  and  burst  into  tears. 

"  You  are  too  old  to  cry,"  said  a  grave  voice. 

Job  dried  his  eyes  on  his  sleeve,  and  looked  up. 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  he  asked,  curiosity  conquering  fear. 

"  I  am  the  clock.     You  should  know  me  by  this  time." 

There  it  stood  in  the  corner,  with  a  brass  ship  above  the 
dial  that  rocked  when  the  pendulum  swung. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  you  could  talk,"  laughed  Job. 

"  I  usually  make  enough  noise,  and  I  am  always  on  the 
minute,  I  hope.  I  don't  mind  telling  you  what  you  will  find 
out  sooner  or  later — to-night  I  am  bewitched,"  said  the  clock, 
in  a  rattling  way. 


20  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

The  Angora  cat  yawned,  curled  her  whiskers  in  a  military 
fashion  with  both  her  fore-paws,  and  added,  "  Yes,  we  are  be- 
witched." 

"  What  has  bewitched  you,  I  should  like  to  know  ?"  said  Job, 
now  quite  at  his  ease,  and  wishing  to  understand  matters 
thoroughly. 

"  The  sea-shell,"  replied  the  clock. 

Job  turned  to  look  at  the  shell  as  it  lay  on  the  shelf ;  it 
glistened  in  the  dim  room  like  a  beautiful  pearl.  "  We  are  to 
talk  this  evening,"  murmured  the  shell.  "  After  all,  a  little  boy 
might  spend  a  more  lonely  night  than  here  with  a  clock,  a  cat, 
and  a  shell." 

"  All  great  travellers,"  said  the  clock,  proudly. 

"  And  foreigners  by  birth,"  said  the  cat,  whisking  her  tail. 
"  Besides,  I  have  invited  company,  and  you  are  to  have  a  pres- 
ent before  you  go  to  bed." 

"  Oh,  what  is  it?"  cried  Job,  with  sparkling  eyes.  "How  can 
company  get  here  in  all  the  storm  when  Grandfather  can't 
come  r 

"  We  shall  see,"  returned  Puss,  walking  to  the  window,  and 
listening  with  her  ear  to  the  crack. 

"  We  have  no  legs  to  carry  us  about  like  the  cat,"  sighed  the 
clock,  half  enviously.     "  Every  one  in  his  place,  though." 

"  The  wind  brings  a  message  to  say  that  they  will  be  here 
in  an  hour,"  said  the  cat,  returning  to  the  fire.  "  We  must 
try  to  amuse  ourselves  until  they  come." 

"  Who  are  they  ?"  asked  Job. 

"  We  shall  see,"  said  Puss  again.  "  One  can  live  anywhere, 
I  suppose."     This  she  uttered  in  a  dignified  way,  as  if  she  were 


A  Cat  of  Experience.  2 1 

used  to  much  better  things,  and  indeed  that  was  what  she  de- 
sired  every  one  to  think.  "  The  Esquimaux  dwell  in  the  snow 
and  ice — even  their  houses  are  built  of  snow;  thousands  of 
people  crowd  together  in  dam})  cellars  of  great  cities ;  and 
away  off  in  hot  countries  the  natives  would  not  leave  their 
sandy  deserts  for  any  thing.      I   must  be  contented  here." 

"  How  did  you  come  to  know  so  much  ?"  inquired  the  old 
clock,  very  impertinently. 

"  I  am  a  cat  of  experience,"  said  the  Angora  in  a  genteel 
manner.   - 

Then  the  clock  knew  that  it  had  done  something  amiss,  and 
clattered  away,  sounding  the  hour  to  cover  up  the  blunder  ;  only 
it  grew  embarrassed,  and  struck  full  fifteen  times,  like  the  silly 
old  clock  it  was. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  make  so  much  noise,  but  when  I  am  ready  I 
cannot  help  it.  My  little  hammer  rises  up,  you  know,  and 
will  fall  again."  Having  finished  this  duty,  the  time -piece  was 
prepared  to  be  more  agreeable,  and  immediately  proceeded  to 
tell  the  following  story. 


22 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


THE   OLD    CLOCK   TELLS  A   STORY. 

"  The  first  sound  you  ever  heard,  Job,  was  the 
ticking  of  my  pendulum,  and  the  very  first  ob- 
ject your  baby  eyes  noticed  was  my  brass  ship 
rocking,  always  rocking,  as  it  did  years  before  you 
lived,  and  has  done  ever  since.  Babies  are  some- 
times born  out  on  the  ocean  and  in  strange  places, 
but  I  think  that  the  top  of  a  mountain  is  a  droll 
place  for  a  cradle.  I  will  tell  you 
all  about  it.  I  am  really  very  an- 
cient— quite  a  grandfather  clock, 
as  you  may  see  from  my  wooden 
case.  I  was  sent  over  from  Lon- 
don in  my  youth,  and  once  I  was 
mended  here  in  America  by  the 
grandson  of  the  clock -maker  who  made  me.  He  knew  me 
directly,  and  said,  '  Here  is  my  grandfathers  work.'  At  first  I 
lived  in  New  York,  where  I  was  for  sale  in  a  shop,  until  I  was 
bought  by  a  man  who  had  me  placed  on  a  sloop  to  be  taken 
up  the  Hudson  River.  It  was  a  long  voyage  in  those  days, 
I  promise  you,  and  we  were  one  week  on  board  of  the  sloop 
before  we  reached  our  destination.  Now  the  great  steamboats 
make  the  same  journey  in  a  few  hours.  I  could  tell  you  the 
exact  time  if  I  were  placed  on  the  '  Daniel  Drew '  in  running 


Unexpected  Visitors.  23 

order,  and  not  laid  on  my  back  with  my  pendulum  tied.  How- 
ever, I  have  no  reason  to  complain.  I  was  purchased  by  your 
grandfather,  Job,  to  place  in  the  new  house  where  he  would 
bring  his  bride. 

"  Dear,  dear  !  It  seems  only  yesterday  when  the  newly  mar- 
ried couple  stepped  across  the  threshold  hand  in  hand.  Their 
hair  was  golden,  their  cheeks  like  ripe  apples,  and  outside  the 
door  the  damask  roses  bloomed  in  the  sunshine.  So  long,  long 
ago,  little  Job  —  as  you  may  tell  by  my  worm-eaten  case  and 
rusty  works. 

"  I  remember  very  well  that  we  had  unexpected  visitors  up 
here  the  day  before  you  were  born.  There  had  been  no  living- 
soul  here  for  years  besides  the  old  man  :  his  wife  was  dead,  and 
his  only  daughter  gone  away.  Well,  the  door  stood  open,  and 
I  sawT  a  wagon  drive  up  with  two  women  in  it.  The  younger 
one  rose,  and  stretched  out  her  hands  to  Grandfather,  who 
stood  shading  his  eyes,  and  looking  at  her. 

"  '  Father !'  she  said,  and  began  to  cry. 

"'She  would  come  up  the  mountain  to-day,'  said  the  elder 
woman. 

"  The  last  speaker  was  Grandfather's  sister,  and  the  younger 
one  was  your  mother,  Master  Job. 

"  The  visitors  were  made  comfortable.  The  girl  promised  to 
be  good,  and  return  to  the  farm  with  her  aunt  next  clay,  after 
she  had  seen  her  father  once  more.  She  had  been  wilful,  and 
married  a  handsome  sailor  against  her  parent's  wishes.  Now 
the  sailor  was  wrecked,  and  she  had  come  all  this  weary  way 
across  the  seas  to  beg  forgiveness. 

"  The    wind   blew   fresh    about   the    lonely    house.     I    struck 


24  The  Cat  ski  11  Fairies. 

twelve,  and  before  I  had  ceased  the  angels  had  brought  you 
here  to  live.     What  do  you  think  of  that  ?" 

"  It  is  very  funny,"  said  Job.  He  had  never  thought  of  be- 
ing much  smaller  than  he  was  then. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  clock.  "  But  when  the  angels  brought  you 
they  carried  away  your  mother.  You  never  saw  her  after- 
wards. You  were  a  sturdy  little  fellow,  and  the  aunt  did 
everything  for  you.  She  had  a  goat  brought  up  here,  for  you 
to  drink  the  rich  milk.  The  goat  behaved  very  well,  although 
it  did  not  like  the  quarters  much.  When  the  aunt  wished  to 
take  you  away  home,  Grandfather  shook  his  head.  If  he  was  a 
clumsy  nurse,  you  thrived.  Bless  you  !  babies  thrive  anywhere ; 
and  if  you  don't  expect  them  to  live,  they  are  sure  to  do  so. 

"  You  had  a  wee  face — I  don't  suppose  your  face  will  ever 
be  as  large  as  mine  —  and  bright  eyes,  and  you  used  to  sit 
on  the  floor  with  your  thumb  in  your  mouth  staring  at  my 
ship.  You  never  cried  much,  and  soon  learned  to  trot  around, 
climbing  as  nimbly  as  a  squirrel.  So  you  see  the  good  God 
sent  you  as  a  gift  to  Grandfather,  who  lived  all  alone,  and  he 
has  toiled  for  you  day  and  night.  I  have  watched  him  many 
a  time  sitting  up  long  after  you  were  sound  asleep  to  sew  your 
coat  or  carve  a  toy.  The  very  least  you  can  do,  in  return,  is 
to  be  a  good  boy,  for  he  is  growing  old." 

Job  had  never  given  the  matter  a  moment's  reflection.  He 
could  not  decide  whether  he  had  been  a  good  boy  or  not. 
Now  the  old  clock's  words  made  a  deep  impression  on  his 
mind,  and  he  formed  a  resolution. 

"  He  shall  never  saw  all  the  wrood  again !"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Sometimes  I  forget,  you  know." 


The    Sea  -  Shell   Speaks.  2  5 

"  That  is  right,"  said  the  clock,  heartily. 

"  You  will  always  be  glad  if  you  arc  thoughtful  of  others," 
said  the  sea-shell. 

"  Grandfather  is  a  good  man  ;  he  gives  me  tender  morsels," 
said  the  Angora  cat  gratefully. 

The  old  clock  had  finished  its  story,  and  for  a  few  minutes 
nothing  was  heard  in  the  room  but  the  slow,  steady  ticking  of 
the  long  pendulum  as  it  swung  back  and  forth,  and  the  quiet 
purring  of  the  Angora  cat.  Job  was  thinking  of  what  the 
clock  had  told  him,  when  the  silence  was  again  broken  by  the 
sea-shell 


26 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


ADVENTURES   OF  A    SEA-SHELF 


"  Each  one  may  tell  what  he 
knows,"  said  the  sea -shell,  in  a 
soft,  liquid  voice. 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ? 
I  mean,  where  did  you  grow  ?" 
asked  Job,  eagerly. 

A     sweet    little    laugh     came 
gurgling  from  the  depths   of  the 
shell  as  water  bubbles  out  of  a 
clear  spring  hidden  among  the  moss  of  the  woods. 

"  Where  did  I  grow  ?  You  speak  as  if  I  was  plucked  from 
the  branch  of  a  tree  like  fruit.  Do  you  not  know  that  a  little, 
soft,  defenceless  animal  —  a  mollusk  —  built  me  for  a  strong 
castle  to  protect  it  from  foes  ?  Then,  being  something  of  an 
artist  in  its  own  tiny  fashion,  the  mollusk  painted  and  decorated 
its  house,  lining  it  with  pearl,  as  you  see,  and  adding  turrets  to 
the  roof.  Yes,  and  the  very  best  of  it  was  that  it  had  only  to 
close  the  door  firmly,  and  no  enemy  could  come  in  ;  even  the 
rough  waves  might  toss  the  house  about  with  no  harm  to  the 
inmate." 

"  Where  did  you  live  ?"  persisted  Job. 

"  I  was  only  the  strong  castle  remember.  The  mollusk  lived 
away  off  in   the   trojDical  waters  of  the   Indian   Ocean.     Above 


The  Islands  of  Spice  -Trees. 


27 


the  sea  bloomed  the  rich  islands  where  the  spice-trees  grow, 
and  cruel  pirates  lurked  along  the  shore  to  attack  foreign  ves- 
sels. The  pirates,  in  their  swift  boats,  were  like  the  small 
sword-fish  that  dart  forth  to  attack  the  whale,  wounding  the 
huare  creature  on  all  sides. 


"  Chinese  junks  came  there,  too,  in  search  of  the  swallow 
nests,  built  in  the  rock  caverns,  which  they  sold  in  their  markets 
for  the  famous  bird-nest  soup.  Down  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ocean  crawled  the  sea-cucumber,  a  slow  creature,  with  a  trans- 
parent body,  and  pretty,  feathery  tentacles,  like  plumes,  waving 
about  the  mouth,  to  draw  in  food.  Even  the  cucumber  was 
not  safe  from  the  sharp  Chinese  eyes.  Whirr !  a  prong  was 
hurled  through  the  water,  striking  the  poor  thing  with  unerr- 
ing  aim,   and    up    came    the    cucumber    to    the    surface,  to    be 


28  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

packed  as  the  '  trepang '  of  commerce.  If  we  hide  in  the 
deepest  waters,  we  do  not  escape  ;  nothing  is  safe  from  man. 
I  left  my  home  one  day,  with  a  sudden  jerk,  just  as  the  tre- 
pang did.  The  mollusk  soon  died,  out  of  the  sea,  even  as  you 
would  die  if  your  head  was  held  under  water.  I  was  left,  be- 
ing only  a  shell,  and  since  then  I  have  been  a  great  traveller. 
Your  mother  brought  me  here  in  a  box.  First  I  was  carried 
off  by  a  sailor  as  a  gift  for  his  sweetheart  at  home  ;  yet  I  never 
saw  the  sweetheart,  for  the  cabin-boy  stole  me  long  before  we 
reached  port.  The  cabin-boy  treated  me  very  ill :  he  traded 
me  for  a  gay  neck-tie,  when  I  would  have  really  brought  him 
money  if  sold  for  a  cabinet.  Silly  fellow  !  Then  we  sailed  up 
north  ;   I  could  tell  you  all  about  the  cold  countries." 

"  It  is  cold  enough  here,"  yawned  the  Angora  cat. 

"  I  changed  owners  half-a-dozen  times  anions;  sailors.  We 
were  in  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  I  had  been  left  on  deck  careless- 
ly, when  a  gull  came  swooping  down  on  me,  made  bold  by 
hunger. 

"  '  You  are  as  tough  as  a  Tartar,'  said  the  gull,  pecking  at 
me  to  judge  if  I  was  good  to  eat. 

"  '  What  is  a  Tartar  ?'   I  inquired. 

"  '  Don't  be  tiresome,'  said  the  gull,  pettishly.  '  My  grand- 
father knows  everything :  ask  him.'  Then  it  flew  away.  I 
was  glad  to  have  the  ship  lurch  just  then,  and  roll  me  against 
the  bulwark  out  of  sight.  Presently  the  gull  returned,  hopping 
along  cautiously  in  the  hope  of  stealing  a  morsel. 

"  '  Where  is  your  grandfather  ?'  I  asked. 

" '  Holloa !  Are  you  still  there,  Mr.  Shell  ?'  cried  the  gull, 
cocking  its  head  over  its  shoulder. 


Grandfather  Gull.  29 

"  '  I  will  make  a  bargain  with  you,'  I  said.  '  If  you  carry  me 
to  your  grandfather,  I  can  tell  you  where  to  find  food.' 

"  '  But  you  are  so  heavy,'  he  objected. 

"  '  But  you  are  so  hungry,1  I  said,  quietly. 

"  '  I  know  it,'  groaned  the  gull.  '  I  will  try  to  find  the  old 
gentleman  instead.' 

"  Then  it  flew  away  again,  returning  with  the  grandfather  gull, 
and  I  kept  my  word  by  showing  the  birds  where  they  could 
obtain  food  near  the  cook's  galley.  The  old  gull  said  he  did 
not  know  what  the  young  one  meant  about  Tartars,  but  he 
would  tell  me  a  story,  if  I  wrould  excuse  his  standing  on  one 
leg  while  speaking,  for  he  had  the  gout  badly  in  his  right 
clawr.     He  told  me  the  following  tale. 


3<d  The  Catskill  Fairies. 


HOW  BIORN  DISCOVERED   AMERICA. 

" '  The  Northern  nations  were  a  roving  people  long  before 
their  existence  was  known  in  Southern  Europe.  The  Goths 
crossed  the  Baltic  Sea  in  three  ships,  to  grow  into  a  mighty 
race  capable  of  subduing  Rome  ;  the  Swedes  were  rulers  on 
the  ocean,  strong  in  arms  and  numbers  ;  the  Danes  boldly 
attacked  the  English  coast,  and,  after  being  held  in  check  by 
Alfred  the  Great,  established  four  Danish  princes  on  the 
throne.  A  Scandinavian  king  ruled  in  Dublin ;  early  con- 
quests were  made  of  the  Shetland  Isles  and  the  Hebrides ; 
Scotland  was  visited  by  them,  when  Duncan  defeated  the  in- 
vaders, the  Scots  being  commanded  by  Macbeth   and  Banquo. 

" '  The  country  was  too  small  for  all  the  families  to  be  fed  and 
lodged,  so  it  was  agreed  that  a  certain  number  of  children  to 
each  household  should  go  abroad  in  search  of  a  living.  There 
were  too  many  birds  in  the  home  nest.  The  father  drove  out 
his  sons  when  they  grew  to  manhood — except  the  eldest  son, 
who  was  heir  to  the  estate.  The  sea-kings,  or  vikings,  spread 
their  sails  to  discover  new  lands.  Naddod,  a  Norwegian  pirate, 
saw  one  day  a  dreary  looking  country,  which  he  named  Snow- 
land  ;  then  Gardar  Svarfarson,  a  Swede,  found  that  it  was  an 
island,  and  called  it  Iceland  instead,  because  of  its  forbidding- 
aspect.  His  companions  liked  the  island,  and  a  Norwegian 
Jarl   took   refuge   there,  founding   a   colony. 


Biorn' s  Stormy   Voyage. 


3* 


" '  Then  the  sea-kings  sailed  on,  and  other  shores  were  found 
in  the  Western  Atlantic.  In  the  year  98 2  a  Jarl  of  Norway 
went  to  Iceland,  with  his  son  Eric  the  Red,  and  Erie  left  Ice- 
land to  roam  still  farther  to  the  south-west,  where  he  espied  a 
country  which  he  named  Greenland,  and  made  his  home  at 
Eric's  Fiord.  Heriolf,  one  of  these  early  colonists,  was  a  trader, 
sailing  from  place  to  place  in  partnership  with  his  son  Biorn. 

"'Now  we  shall  hear!  Biorn,  who  was  a  sort  of  salt-water 
pedler,  had  agreed  to  meet  his  father  at  a  certain  spot,  but 
missed  him  on  the  open  ocean.  Lo !  a  terrible  gale  arose, 
driving  Biorns  vessel  like  a  feather  before  the  wind.  The 
little  craft  bounded  lightly  over  the  heaving  billows,  through 
sleet  and  foam — sent  far  away  from  the  shelter  of  Greenland, 
until  the  sailors  expected  that  her  prow  would  touch  the  end 
of   the    world.     At   last    they   saw   land,  a    wide    region,  thick- 


v.. 


ly  wooded.     It    was    a    northern    cape 
of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

" '  What  do  you  suppose   this   stupid 


32  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

Biorn  did?  He  just  drifted  around  the  promontory,  looked 
at  it,  and,  without  setting  foot  on  the  shore,  spread  his  sails 
before  a  fresh  west  wind,  the  storm  having  abated,  and  re- 
turned to  Greenland,  where  he  found  his  father  Heriolf  safely 
harbored. 

" '  That  is  the  way  Biorn  discovered  America,  quite  ignorant 
that  he  was  the  first  European  to  touch  the  strand  of  a  won- 
derful New  World.  This  happened  long  before  Christopher 
Columbus  saw  the  tropical  palm-trees  and  crystal  waters  of 
the  West  Indies.  Biorn  went  back,  and  told  the  story  at  least. 
Eief,  a  son  of  Eric  the  Red,  set  sail  with  thirty-five  men,  reach- 
ed the  American  coast,  and  steered  along  it  until  he  found  an 
inviting  anchorage.  The  region  was  delightful :  fruits  and 
berries  were  ripe,  and  there  was  salmon  in  the  river.  The 
Northmen  landed,  built  huts,  and  called  the  spot  Vinland, 
because  of  the  quantities  of  grapes  they  found.  Lief  spent 
a  winter  in  Vinland,  then  sold  his  vessel  to  his  brother  Thor- 
wald  in  the  spring,  who  stayed  another  year,  exploring  the 
land.  The  natives  came  in  canoes  to  oppose  him,  and  Thor- 
wald  was  killed.  The  other  Northmen  remained  a  third  win- 
ter. The  natives  were  like  the  Esquimaux,  already  known  in 
Greenland. 

"'In  1007  a  rich  Greenlander,  Thorfin,  emigrated  to  Vinland 
with  sixty  followers  and  his  wife  Gudrida.  The  ships  carried 
all  kinds  of  animals  and  food.  Gudrida  was  the  first  Euro- 
pean woman  to  see  the  New  World,  and  her  son  Snorro,  born 
at  Vinland,  was  the  first  child  of  foreign  parents  in  America. 
Thorfin's  expedition  prospered.  The  native  tribes  came  in 
great  numbers  to  trade  in  furs,  yet  Thorfin  went  home  again. 


Puss  and  tlic  Mouse. 


oo 


a'At  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  traces  of  these  early 
settlers  have  been  found.  The  savages  there  were  different 
in  aspect,  and  they  knew  the  cross  when  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries showed  it  to  them.' 

"  I  have  told  you  the  truth,  whatever  else  you  may  hear  to- 
night," concluded  the  shell. 

"  So  did  I  tell  the  truth,"  said  the  clock.  "  I  don't  know 
what  the  cat  may  do." 

"  Speak  for  yourself,  then,"  said  Puss,  quite  in  a  huff.  "  I 
have  had  no  chance  to  tell  my  story  yet,  if  you  please  ;  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  both  of  you  are  fond  of  hearing  yourselves 
talk.— Oh  !" 

A  little  mouse  had  crept  out  of  its  hole  ;  the  cat  pounced  on 
it  like  a  flash. 

"  I  can't  imagine  why  you  like  those  mice,"  said  the  clock. 
"  It  makes  me  tremble  in  all  my  wood-work  only  to  see  one, 
they  have  such  frightfully  sharp  teeth,  and  gnaw  such  dreadful 
holes." 

The  Angora  cat  was  terribly  excited  ;  her  eyes  were  large, 
her  whiskers  bristled,  and  she  held  the  poor  little  mouse  be- 
tween her  paws.  One  could  see  how  much  she  was  like  those 
great  relations  of  hers,  the  tiger  and  lion,  when  they  gloat  over 
their  prey. 

"  What  have  you  got  to  say  for  yourself,"  growled  Kitty. 

"  Mercy !"  squeaked  the  little  mouse,  rolling  its  eyes  towards 
Job. 

"  Let  Mousey  go.     You  have  had  your  supper,"  said  Job. 

"  Ask  me  nicely,  mouse,  and  perhaps  I  will,"  said  the  wicked 
cat,  enjoying  the  fright  of  her  captive. 

C 


34  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

So  the  little  mouse  sat  on  its  hind-legs,  and  crossed  its  fore- 
paws  piteously. 

"  I  am  very  young  to  die.  I  ran  away  from  the  nest  behind 
the  beam  of  the  cellar  just  to  see  life.  Oh  !  please  don't  look 
at  me  like  that !"  it  said  faintly. 

"  I  will  not  eat  you  if  you  tell  a  story,"  said  Puss. 

"  Oh,  dear !"  piped  the  little  mouse.  "  How  can  I  tell  a 
story  ?  I  have  no  ideas,  and  I  have  never  been  even  to  a 
mouse  school  yet.  I  am  really  a  baby.  To  be  sure,  we  have 
gnawed  a  great  many  books  and  papers  ;  still  we  do  not  read 
the  print — we  only  make  nests." 

"  Do  you  stay  in  the  corner  of  the  hearth  and  think  of  a 
story,"  said  the  cat.  "  If  you  try  to  run  away  I  will  eat  you 
in  one  mouthful.  There  !  I  don't  mind  your  being  a  baby 
mouse  at  all ;  your  bones  will  be  all  the  more  tender  on  that 
account." 

So  the  little  mouse  had  to  sit  in  the  corner,  and  make  the 
best  of  it.  When  the  cat  looked  at  it,  the  mouse  closed  its 
eyes,  pretending  to  nap,  for  it  wished  to  appear  very  much  at 
ease,  but  it  trembled  in  every  limb  for  dread  of  those  terrible 
jaws  and  gleaming  eyes. 

It  was  now  the  cat's  turn  to  tell  a  story. 


Puss  begins  a  Story.  35 


ONE   OF  A    CATS  LIVES. 

"  I  know  very  well  that  I  was  born  in  a  palace — that  is,  a 
palace  in  comparison  with  this  cottage,"  said  the  Angora  cat, 
stretching  herself  comfortably  on  the  warm  hearthstone. 

"  What  was  it  like  ?"  asked  Job,  glancing  around  the  kitchen. 

"  Well,  it  must  have  been  a  palace,  because  there  was  a 
lawn  and  a  park,  with  winding  avenues  and  flowers.  Then 
the  house  was  beautiful,  large,  and  spacious,  with  soft  carpets 
and  velvet  cushions.  The  old  lady  who  lived  there  owned 
twenty  cats,  and  people  said  she  was  crazy  on  the  subject  of 
pets.  The  cats  had  an  easy  life.  Each  morning  a  servant 
bathed  the  Angora  family,  combed  our  fur,  and  tied  a  fresh 
ribbon  about  our  necks.  How  much  we  were  caressed  !  One 
day  I  was  taken  to  the  drawing-room  for  some  visitors  to  ad- 
mire my  flossy  coat,  when  I  saw  an  ugly  face  peering  in  at 
the  window,  and  I  hid  beneath  the  dress  of  my  mistress.  The 
butler  told  the  beggar  to  go  away.  '  I'm  hungry,'  said  the 
man.  Now  I  had  never  been  hungry  in  my  life.  After  the 
visitors  left  I  curled  myself  up  for  a  nap  on  the  best  em- 
broidered cushion.  Two  dirty  hands  seized  me,  the  ugly  face 
peered  in  the  window  again,  and  I  was  hurried  away,  hidden 
from  sio-ht  beneath  the  besro-ar's  rao-oed  coat.  In  vain  I 
struggled  ;  he  held  me  firmly  until  we  had  crossed  the  road 
behind  a  hedge,  and  he  took  me  out  to  shake  me  angrily. 


36  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

"  '  You  are  always  fed,  if  the  children  do  starve,'  he  muttered, 
fiercely. 

"  He  did  not  kill  me,  though  I  was  half  dead  with  fright  by 
the  time  he  reached  the  miserable  hovel  where  he  lived.  The 
children  were  hungry,  but  I  was  made  to  rob  them  of  their 
scanty  portion  of  milk,  because  I  was  to  be  taken  to  town  and 
sold  for  my  beauty. 

"  Fortunately  some  dear,  kind  ladies  bought  me,  paying  the 
man  a  good  price,  and  I  hope  that  he  took  the  money  to  the 
poor  children. 

"  Wherever  the  ladies  went  on  their  travels,  I  was  carried  in 
a  basket,  and  people  were  warned  not  to  hurt  Kitty.  At  this 
strangers  smiled,  but  they  were  all  good  to  me.  We  crossed 
the  ocean  in  a  large  steamship,  and  in  the  summer  we  came 
up  to  these  mountains.  When  parties  rambled  in  the  woods 
I  was  allowed  to  go,  for  there  were  too  many  children  in  the 
hotel  for  my  comfort.  They  play  strange  pranks  with  the 
most  superior  cats.  When  the  ladies  had  a  picnic  I  was  at- 
tracted by  a  bird  that  hopped  near  in  search  of  crumbs.  I 
gave  chase,  the  bird  flew  away,  and  when  the  people  called 
me  I  hid  behind  a  rock.  I  was  tired  of  being  petted,  so  I  de- 
cided to  become  a  hunter,  searching  for  my  own  food  in  the 
woods.  This  served  very  well  until  the  frost  came.  Then  you 
found  me,  Job.  I  made  a  great  many  acquaintances  in  the 
woods  during  my  rambles,  as  you  will  presently  see." 

"  Crickets  and  grasshoppers  ?"  said  Job. 

"  No  such  thing,"  replied  the  Angora  cat.     "  Here  they  are  !" 

Job  could  scarcely  believe  that  he  was  still  in  his  senses, 
for   in    a    moment    the    place    was    full    of    Fairies.      The   wee 


The  Fairies  Arrive.  37 

people  came  through  the  keyhole,  clown  the  chimney,  and 
forth  from  the  blazing  logs  of  the  fire,  with  a  soft  rustle  of 
wings  and  a  murmur  of  tiny  voices  that  sounded  like  the  pat- 
ter of  rain-drops  among  forest  leaves.  The  boy  winked  sev- 
eral times  to  make  sure  he  was  awake. 

At  first  these  visitors  looked  all  alike  :  their  pinions  were 
spangled  like  those  of  a  butterfly,  and  their  little  forms  twin- 
kled and  hovered  about  in  restless  motion  ;  but  by  degrees  they 
settled  down  like  fallen  blossoms,  some  on  the  hearth,  others 
on  the  chimney-piece,  and  two  perched  on  the  sea-shell.  The 
little  mouse  moved  an  inch  to  run  ;  Puss  clapped  a  paw  on  it. 
Then  the  Fairies  formed  a  ring  around  the  animal  by  joining 
hands,  and  danced  to  their  own  music.  The  mouse  shivered 
'  with  terror ;  but  by  degrees  it  grew  brighter,  and  began  to 
dance  also,  hopping  on  one  hind-leg,  and  nodding  its  head  in 
time  to  the  sono;.     That  was  a  droll  sio;ht ! 

Job  now  saw  that  the  Fairies  on  the  hearth  were  very  plump 
and  pretty.  They  wore  little  petticoats  of  red  rose-leaves,  while 
their  caps  and  aprons  were  made  from  the  white  rose's  petals. 

"I  am  Queen  Puff,  and  we  come  from  the  Lowlands, "  said 
one,  nodding  to  Job.  "  You  must  excuse  us  if  we  keep  on 
with  our  work  while  we  pay  our  visit,  because  we  are  busy 
housewives.     Besides,  this  is  Christmas-eve." 

With  that  two  of  her  maidens  brought  her  spinning-wheel 
to  Queen  Puff,  and  then  all  her  court  took  their  knitting. 
Such  a  spinning-wheel  as  that  was  !  The  frame  was  a  rose- 
thorn,  the  wheel  made  of  horse -hair,  and  the  distaff  wrapped 
in  a  tangle  of  cobweb,  which  the  Queen  spun  off  in  fine  silk 
threads. 


38  The  Cats  kill  Fairies. 

"  What  is  it  for  ?"  asked  Job. 

"  These  threads  make  children's  dreams,"  replied  Puff.  "  Of 
course  there  must  be  a  great  supply  of  dream-thread  on  Christ- 
mas-eve for  the  children  of  America  alone." 

Another  group  was  clustered  on  the  handle  of  the  tongs. 
These  were  clad  in  pale  satin. 

"  We  are  the  Fairies  of  the  Mountain  Laurel,"  they  said. 
"  You  will  find  us  in  June  on  the  overhanging  banks,  where 
the  ferns  and  mosses  drape  the  rocks,  and  the  rivulets  flow 
down  hill.  Then  we  live  in  our  lovely  pink  houses  ;  but  when 
our  flowers  fade  we  hide  beneath  the  leaves." 

"  I  know  you  right  well,  and  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you  in 
the  spring,"  said  Job. 

On  the  window-sill,  where  Jack  Frost  had  made  the  panes 
like  ground  glass,  a  number  of  delicate  forms  rested,  their  robes 
of  snow-flakes,  and  their  helmets  of  gleaming  ice. 

"  We  are  the  Winter  Fairies,  and  dare  not  approach  the  fire," 
they  murmured.  "  We  live  in  marble  palaces  made  by  our 
king,  and  there  are  no  jewels  so  splendid  as  the  icicles  with 
which  we  hang  our  halls." 

"  We  are  the  Summer  Fairies,"  said  a  race  that  had  sprung 
from  the  burning  log.  They  were  so  radiant  that  one  could 
not  look  at  them  long ;  they  changed  in  hue  from  emerald 
green  to  red  and  purple,  and  the  flame  shone  through  them. 
The  Summer  Fairies  were  as  unlike  Queen  Puff's  court  as 
possible,  for  their  faces  were  brown,  their  hair  dark  like  the 
Indians'. 

"  Where  is  the  Fairy  of  the  Waterfall  ?"  inquired  the  cat. 
"  She  was  to  bring  Job's  gift." 


The  Fairy  Pedler. 


39 


"  Winter  has  made  her  a  prisoner  ;  but  she  will  beg  leave  to 
come,  if  the  king  is  in  a  good-humor.     Sometimes  he  melts." 

"  These  are  friends  I  made  in  the  woods  last  summer,"  said 
the  Angora,  proudly. 

Just  then  a  queer  little  form  dashed  down  the  chimney,  up- 
set Queen  Puff's  spinning-wheel,  and  flew  into  the  cat's  face  as 
a  beetle  blunders  into  the  candle-flame. 

"  Gracious  !  I  hope  that  I'm  not  late,"  said  the  new-comer. 

"  Where  are  your  manners  ?"  cried  Queen  Puff,  putting  her 
cap  straight. 

"  Beg  your  pardon,  ma'am.     I  was  in  a  hurry  to  see  Job." 


40  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

Then  he  winked  at  our  hero,  and  began  to  laugh.  This  was 
Fairy  Nip  from  the  Berkshire  Hills  across  the  river,  and  his 
garments  were  made  entirely  of  pumpkin -blossom  cloth.  He 
carried  on  his  back  a  pack — for  he  was  a  fairy  pedler — which 
he  unstrapped  and  opened. 

"  Perhaps  I  may  have  something  to  please  you,  ladies.  Here 
is  the  latest  thing  in  jackets — fly-wings  trimmed  with  dandelion 
down  ;  the  effect  is  quite  as  good  as  real  lace.  My  jewelry  is' 
cheap ;  this  set  of  spider's  eggs,  necklace,  bracelet,  and  ear- 
drops, I  will  sell  for  a  mere  song.  Want  any  patent  medi- 
cines ?  Try  the  Mountain -dew  Tonic  to  make  lazy  people 
work,  or  the  Strawberry- seed  Cordial  for  the  appetite.  As 
to  cosmetics,  I  can  make  the  plainest  fairy  beautiful  in  five 
seconds  by  using  this  Bee  Powder." 

The  Fairies  were  very  much  excited ;  they  crowded  around 
the  tiny  pedler,  who  sold  his  wares  like  wildfire.  Queen  Puff 
left  her  spinning-wheel,  and  the  Winter  Fairies  ran  great  risk 
of  melting  because  they  must  peep  at  the  pretty  things.  The 
Summer  Fairies  showed  the  greatest  fondness  for  finery,  as 
they  were  Indians.  They  bought  mantles  of  scarlet  poppy, 
and  strutted  about  to  be  admired ;  while  of  the  spider- egg 
chains  they  could  not  get  enough. 

When  Nip  had  emptied  his  pack,  he  cut  a  caper,  winked 
again  at  Job,  and  climbed  on  the  mouses  back,  which  was 
a  soft,  velvet  couch.  The  mouse  looked  like  an  elephant  to 
Nip. 

The  Sprite  of  the  Mountain  Laurel  began  to  speak: 

"  There  are  fairies  in  the  .New  World  just  as  much  as  in 
the    Old,  and  it   is   time  we   should  be   known.     Surely  nature 


The  New  World  Fairy  Homes.  41 

has  given  us  quite  as  beautiful  homes  as  those  of  our  sisters 
across  the  seas ;  we  can  hold  revels  in  the  heart  of  forests 
where  man  seldom  comes ;  we  may  wrap  ourselves  in  the 
rainbow  mist  of  the  waterfall  ;  and  if  we  wish  to  live  in  water 
mansions,  there  are  plenty  of  majestic  rivers.  What  sprite 
could  desire  a  more  beautiful  home  than  our  dear  Hudson 
yonder  ?     People  are  stupid,  and  will  not  see  us." 

"  They  are  too  busy,  I  guess,"  said  Nip.  "  Many  a  time  a 
farmer  has  all  but  crushed  me  beneath  his  foot  in  my  beauti- 
ful yellow  coat,  or  I  have  peeped  out  of  a  flower-cup  under  the 
very  nose  of  a  man  who  was  too  busy  thinking  about  money- 
making  to  see  either  the  flower  or  Nip.  These  are  the  sort 
of  people  who  tell  the  world  that  there  are  no  fairies." 

The  Laurel  Oueen  said  she  had  a  storv  to  tell. 


42  The  Catskill  Fairies. 


THE    OAK-  TREE  SPRITE. 

"  At  the  foot  of  these  mountains  an  oak-tree  once  waved 
its  long  branches,  and  towered  above  the  grass  bank  which 
sloped  away  to  the  brink  of  a  little  brook.  The  brook  sang 
sweet  songs  to  itself  all  day  long,  as  it  rippled  about  large 
rocks,  then  flowed  smoothly  among  rushes  and  marsh  flowers. 
The  birds  trilled  delicious  music  overhead  ;  but  the  oak-tree 
had  no  ear  for  music,  although  it  had  lived  beside  the  brook 
for  years,  and  might  certainly  have  learned  something  from 
association  by  this  time. 

" '  The  summer  breeze  rustles  among  my  leaves,  and  the 
winter  storms  clash  my  branches  together,'  said  the  tree.  '  Is 
not  that  enough  noise  ?' 

"  '  That  amounts  to  just  nothing  at  all,'  replied  the  brook, 
the  sunshine  dimpling  its  surface  with  golden  sparkles  as  it 
hurried  on  to  swell  the  broad  Hudson,  and  roll  still  further 
onward  to  the  sea. 

"  At  last  something  happened.  A  lamp  burned  all  night  in 
the  poor  cottage  ;  the  Doctor  came  with  his  medicine-box,  and 
the  parents  hovered  anxiously  about  the  cradle.  When  morn- 
ing dawned  the  house  had  grown  still,  for  in  the  early  hours, 
before  the  sun  brought  returning  warmth  and  brightness  to 
the  glad  earth,  a  little  soul  had  risen  on  snowy  wings  to  the 
gates  of  heaven — the  child  was  dead. 


The  Fairy  Carpet- Bag. 


"  Then  the  father  made  a  tiny  grave  beneath  the  oak-tree's 
shade,  and  flowers  soon  bloomed,  tended  by  loving,  careful 
hands. 

"  One  morning  a  tall  poppy  shot  up,  the 
petals  unfolded,  and  from  this  little  red 
house  out  stepped  a  sprite  dressed  in  the 
oak-tree's  livery  of  green.  You  might 
easily  have  mistaken  him  for  a  grasshop- 
per or  a  locust  at  a  short  distance.  In 
his  hand  he  carried  a  carpet-bag,  stitched 
together  neatly  out  of  bits  of  oak-leaf,  and 
on  his  head  he  wore  the  small  end  of  an 
acorn,  fashioned  into  a  cap.  Altogether 
the  sprite  had  a  very  brisk  manner,  and 
as  he  came  out  of  the  poppy  mansion  he 
gave  it  a  kick,  very  ungratefully. 

"  '  I  am  just  born,  and  I  belong  to  you,' 
he  said,  making  a  low  bow  to  the  oak-tree. 

"  The  tree  was  delighted  with  the  little 
man. 

'"Shelter  yourself  in  my  trunk  from  the  cold,  and  dance 
among  my  leaves,'  it  said,  cordially. 

"  '  What  am  I  to  do  for  you  in  return  ?'  -^ked  the  sprite. 

'"You  will  be  my  voice,'  repl-'  '■  T1      Hrds  shall 

teach  T 


1 


44  The  Caiskill  Fairies. 

"  '  Because  it  is  a  fairy  gift.' 

"  '  A  fairy  carpet-bag — eh  ?'  and  the  tree  chuckled. 

"  The  sprite  was  charmed  with  the  fresh,  beautiful  world  into 
which  he  had  been  born.  He  roamed  all  over  the  great  oak- 
tree,  which  was  a  long  distance  for  him  to  travel,  and  he  was 
never  lonely,  as  he  found  no  end  of  delightful  society.  There 
were  the  ants  and  spiders  to  chat  with  about  their  own  affairs, 
and  the  stupid  caterpillars  to  poke,  for  the  sprite  loved  his 
pranks  as  well  as  older  children. 

"  The  oak-tree  had  very  sensible  ideas  about  education ; 
the  sprite  must  not  play  all  the  while. 

"  Soon  the  news  spread  that  the  oak-tree  wished  to  have  its 
sprite  instructed,  and  all  the  creatures  came  flocking  to  dis- 
cuss the  matter,  as  the  tree  was  a  general  favorite. 

"  '  I  can  teach  the  sprite  to  growl,'  said  the  black  bear. 

"  '  Thanks  !'  said  the  tree.  '  He  is  such  a  tiny  fellow  it  does 
not  seem  necessary  that  he  should  do  anything  besides  laugh/ 

" '  I  can  teach  him  to  burrow  in  the  ground,  or  to  steal 
chickens,'  said  a  little  fox. 

"  '  I  can  teach  him  to  swim,'  croaked  a  frog. 

"  '  And  I  to  dive  below  the  surface,'  added  a  water-rat. 

"  Now  came  the  beautiful  birds,  fluttering  in  a  bright  cloud 
to  perch  on  the  branches,  ruffling  their  soft  feathers,  cocking 
their  prefrt-v  ht*~J"     1    i*t  nS  they  hopped  jauntily  from  twig  to 

■rl"  with  his   '*'  "^s.  and 


The  Birds  give  a  Music  -Lesson.  45 

"  '  Yes,  certainly,'  replied  a  robin.  '  We  must  begin  at  once, 
and  give  you  some  notes  to  practice  while  we  are  off  hunting 
our  breakfast.     Listen  to  me  —  tra-la-la  !' 

"  The  other  birds  set  up  a  clamor  before  the  sprite  could  re- 
peat the  notes  which  had  swelled  pure  and  sweet  from  the 
robin's  tiny  throat. 

" '  The  robin  is  no  singer,'  piped  a  saucy  wren. 

"  '  I  will  show  you  the  way  to  use  your  chest  notes,'  said  the 
thrush. 

"  '  Bob-o-link  !  bob-o-link  !' 

"  '  Peet-tweet !' 

"  '  Chip,  chip,  chee  !' 

"  '  The  loudest  voice  is  the  best,'  screamed  a  handsome  crow. 
'  Caw  !  caw  !' 

"  The  oak-tree  plainly  saw  that  the  sprite  would  be  unable 
to  make  anything  out  of  all  this  noise,  so  it  shook  its  trunk  so 
violently  that  the  birds  had  to  take  wing,  or  tumble  to  the 
ground. 

"  '  One  at  a  time,  if  you  please,'  said  the  tree,  politely.  '  The 
sprite  is  so  young  that  he  is  easily  confused.' 

"  Then  each  bird  hopped  out  and  sang  a  song. 

"  '  All  the  songs  are  so  sweet  that  I  like  one  as  well  as  the 
other,'  said  the  wise  and  prudent  sprite. 

"The   birds   were    offended  —  e^b       "  hed   to 
prefe*""    '  "."*  .*»f  f1*"   " 

de 

P 


46  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

been  a  storm,  and  the  brook,  swollen  by  mountain  torrents, 
rushed  along  noisily,  instead  of  rippling  calmly,  and  the  break 
of  the  waters  seemed  to  the  sprite  the  finest  melody  he  had 
ever  heard.  Day  by  day  he  listened  as  the  flood  gradually 
subsided,  and  quietly  sang  to  himself  as  the  brook  sang. 

"  This  delighted  the  oak-tree  beyond  measure. 

"  '  Now  we  have  music  in  ourselves,'  said  the  tree,  joyously. 
'  We  shall  always  be  happy.' 

"  The  tree  spoke  too  soon.  Ever  since  its  roots  had  struck 
into  the  soil  it  had  stood  there  on  the  bank,  and  it  naturally 
supposed  that  matters  would  never  be  changed. 

"  Dull  blows  were  heard,  and  many  stately  trees  toppled  over 
to  the  ground. 

" '  What  is  it  ?'  said  the  sprite,  pausing  in  his  play. 

"'The  wood- cutters,'  said  the  oak-tree,  trembling  with  fear. 
'  You  will  have  no  home,  little  sprite,  if  they  fell  me.' 

"  The  sprite  ran  quickly,  and  hung  his  magic  carpet  -  bag 
around  his  neck.  Soon  a  party  of  wood -cutters  approached, 
with  their  sharp  axes  over  their  shoulders,  and  they  paused 
before  our  oak-tree  because  it  was  the  finest  they  had  seen. 
They  girdled  the  brave  trunk,  and  then  began  their  work, 
each  stroke  of  the  cruel  steel  curbing  deeper  into  the  heart 
of  the  wood,  as  wrell  as  the  heart  of  the  sprite,  who  wept  as  he 
"•   '      r^      branch   from   which   he   must  soon   be   torn.      A 

slow  rocking  from  sidp   '     side,  and 


n 


iere 


The  Sprite  Clings  to  the  Oak. 


47 


was  nothing  left  but  a  pile  of  wood.  When  they  moved  these 
logs,  the  sprite  took  his  carpet-bag  in  his  hand  and  trudged 
after.  He  decided  never  to  leave  his  dear  tree  while  a  stick  of 
it  remained.  One  of  the  wood-cutters  saw  the  little  man.  who 
was  visible  when  he  took  his  bag  in  his  hand  like  a  traveller. 

"  '  Halloo  !  is  that  a  grasshopper  ?'  cried  the  man. 

"  Instantly  the  sprite  jumped  into  the  grass,  and  hung  the 
bag  around  his  neck  again.  From  the  lumber-yard  to  the 
mill,  where  sharp  saws  smoothed  and  polished  the  logs,  did 
the  sprite  follow  the  tree,  and  at  last  they  reached  the  shore, 
where  the  firm,  stout  oak  was  to  build  a  ship.  The  sprite  saw 
a  great  deal  of  the  world  in  those  busy  places,  and  learned 
more  than  the  brook  or  the  birds  could  ever  have  taught 
him. 


48 


The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


"  '  I  was  only  a  baby  then,'  he  thought.  '  Now  I  must  be 
grown  up.' 

"  He  roamed  everywhere  while  the  ship  was  building,  with 
the  magic  bag  to  protect  him.  He  crept  into  the  old  fruit- 
vender's  pocket  and  spilled  her  snuff ;  he  peeped  into  the  tin 
pails  which  the  children  brought  for  their  fathers  at  noon  ;  and 
he  clambered  about  the  workmen  whose  hammers  kept  time 
on  the  ship's  sides — rat-a-tat-tat 

At  last  the  vessel  was  finished,  and  the  people  gathered  to 
see  her  launched.  The  sprite  was  on  board  before  any  one 
else,  however,  and  perched  on  the  bow  when  the  ship  slid 
gracefully  down  into  the  water.  There  was  nothing  for  the 
sprite  but  to  become  a  sailor,  now  that  the  dear  oak-tree  was 
prepared  to  follow  the  sea.  He  enjoyed  himself  beyond  meas- 
ure, and  he  was  soon  at  home  in  every  nook  except  the  medi- 


cine-chest.    Down  in  the  hold  he  met  the  rats,  and  they  were 
sharp  fellows  enough. 

"  '  Ha,  ha !'   laughed  the   rats.     '  We   like    new  ships,  too,  so 
we  just  skipped  on  board  when  all  was  ready.' 


Life  on  board  Ship.  49 

"  Some  of  the  rats  had  already  made  voyages,  and  these 
called  themselves  'Jolly  Tars,'  and  other  funny  names.  They 
told  the  sprite  what  to  do  in  case  of  shipwreck  ;  nor  did  their 
good  services  end  in  mere  empty  advice,  for  they  brought  him 
any  dainty  in  the  ship's  stores  which  their  sharp  noses  could 
be  poked  into,  and  thus  he  fared  very  well. 

"  When  tired  of  the  rat  company  he  went  to  the  captain's 
cabin,  where  a  lamp  swung  all  night,  and  the  table  had  its  legs 
chained  to  the  floor,  to  keep  it  from  running  away  in  rough 
weather.  Here  he  found  a  respectable  old  cat,  that  told  him 
there  were  no  rats  on  board,  as  it  was  a  new  ship,  therefore 
she  need  do  nothing  but  doze  on  a  rug  all  day.  The  sprite 
laughed  in  his  sleeve,  for  the  cat  was  so  old  that  her  whiskers 
were  gray,  and  she  disliked  springing  about  after  the  nimble  rats. 

"  The  captain  was  a  kind-hearted  man,  and  never  inflicted 
suffering  on  his  crew.  The  mate  was  harsh  and  stern,  using 
the  rope's-end  or  his  heavy  boot,  whenever  the  captain  was 
out  of  sight,  to  vent  his  ill-humor.  The  sprite  tormented  the 
wicked  mate,  and  the  rats  helped  him.  The  sprite  stuck  pins 
into  him,  pulled  his  hair,  tweaked  his  nose,  tripped  him  up  on 
the  deck,  and  tied  him  in  the  chair  with  fine  threads,  until  the 
mate  feared  that  he  was  bewitched. 

"  The  little  cabin-boy  was  homesick.  He  had  run  away, 
without  the  consent  of  his  parents,  because  he  fancied  that  he- 
should  like  the  sea.  Now  he  discovered  how  sadly  mistaken 
he  had  been.  He  must  work  hard  and  receive  many  blows 
from  the  surly  mate. 

"  Our  sprite  pitied  the  cabin-boy,  and  when  he  slept  at  night 
in  the  close  forecastle,  the  elf  took  off  the  top  of  the  little  lad's 

D 


50    *  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

head,  as  you  would  raise  the  lid  of  a  tea-pot,  and  wove  dream- 
pictures  in  the  sleeper's  brain.  Then  the  sprite,  after  stocking 
thought  with  bright -colored  ideas  enough  to  last  through  the 
next  day,  just  closed  the  lid  of  the  boy's  head,  and  marched 
off  about  other  business.  By  this  means  the  cabin-boy  grew 
happy,  and  whistled  as  he  worked. 

"  The  ship  sailed  on,  miles  and  miles,  into  warm  latitudes, 
where  the  soft  breeze  grew  fragrant  with  the  breath  of  flowers, 
and  the  sea  gleamed  rosy  and  green  at  night  like  sparkling 
showers  of  diamonds.  Land  could  be  seen  in  the  distance, 
looming  like  a  faint  cloud  on  the  horizon. 

" '  What  a  beautiful  world !'  said  the  sprite,  climbing  the 
rigging  to  admire  the  clear  sky  and  tranquil  water.  '  That 
is  the  shore  over  yonder,  and  soon  we  shall  see  strange  roofs 
and  towers,  the  narrow  streets  built  to  shade  the  people  from 
a  hot  sun.     The  rats  told  me,  and  they  know.' 

"  The  sprite  was  not  as  near  the  curious  towns  as  he  thought, 
for  soon  he  noticed  a  cloud  rising  rapidly,  and  spreading  dark 
masses  over  the  whole  heavens.  The  sprite  scampered  down 
from  the  rigging  as  the  tempest  came  rushing  along,  heaping 
up  the  waves  into  mountains,  and  washing  over  the  deck.  The 
surly  mate  was  hurled  from  the  bulwark  far  out  into  the  heav- 
ing waters,  and  no  one  heard  his  death-cry,  wrhile  the  ship 
plunged  and  swayed  helplessly  from  side  to  side. 

"  The  sprite  was  terrified ;  he  cowered  down  in  the  hold, 
and  the  rats  nestled  close  to  him,  for  they  had  lost  their  fine 
spirits,  too.  Suddenly  a  grinding  crash  announced  that  the 
vessel  had  struck  on  a  reef,  and  was  at  the  mercy  of  the 
breakers. 


Tossed  up  by  the  Sea.  5  1 

"  '  Every  one  for  himself,'  cried  the  sprite,  catching  a  splinter 
of  wood  for  a  float,  and  throwing  himself  overboard.  This 
was  what  the  rats  advised  in  case  of  wreck,  but  not  one  of 
them  succeeded  in  reaching  shore.  The  waves  bore  our  hero 
along  safely — he  was  as  light  as  a  feather  on  his  oak  float ; 
and  finally  he  was  tossed  up  on  the  shore  more  dead  than 
alive,  as  a  shipwrecked  mariner  always  is,  whether  sprite  or 
mortal. 

"  When  the  sun  rose  next  morning  the  brave  ship  was  gone, 
and  all  the  crew  had  perished.  A  little  sprite  and  a  bit  of 
wood  alone  remained. 

"  '  Ah,  if  we  were  only  rooted  in  our  home  beside  the  brook,' 
sighed  the  bit  of  wood. 

"  '  Are  you  my  tree  ?'  cried  the  sprite. 

"  '  Yes  ;  I  have  brought  you  to  land,  and  now  you  must  give 
me  a  decent  burial  on  this  foreign  shore,'  said  the  last  splinter 
of  the  once  grand  tree. 

"  So  the  sprite  found  a  spot  high  above  the  waves,  and  com- 
menced to  dig  a  grave  with  his  tiny  hands ;  but  he  got  along- 
very  slowly. 

"  '  I  have  no  patience  with  such  clumsiness  !'  said  a  Mother 
Carey's  chicken  that  happened  to  be  strolling  past.  Then  the 
bird  would  have  helped  to  make  the  grave  by  scraping  the 
sand  with  its  claws. 

"  '  No,  no !'  cried  the  sprite.  '  I  must  bury  my  own  tree 
alone.' 

"  The  bit  of  wood  was  dragged  to  the  hole,  and  a  pebble 
placed  as  a  head-stone  to  mark  the  spot. 

"  '  The  oak-tree  is  dead,'  sobbed  the  sprite  over  the  grave. 


52 


The  Cats  kill  Fairies. 


ffl&ti' 


"  '  That  can't  be  helped,'  said  Mother  Carey's  chicken,  peck- 
ing at  the  carpet-bag,  which  the  sprite  had  laid  out  to  dry. 
The  sprite  put  it  around  his  neck,  and  disappeared  before  the 
bird's  round  eyes ;  then  appeared  again,  laughing ;  until  Mother 
Carey's  chicken  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it  all.  They 
got  along  well  together,  however,  as  the  sprite  had  a  cosy  way 
which  won  friends. 

"  '  What  part  of  the  world  is  this  ?'  he  inquired: 

" '  World  ?  If  you  ask  such  hard  questions  I  must  take  you 
to  the  mussels.  They  know  all  sorts  of  things,  which  are 
brought  them  by  the  tide.  I  have  no  time  for  such  nonsense, 
as  I  have  my  living  to  get.' 

"  They  went  to  the  mussels  on  a  steep  cliff  jutting  out  into 
the  sea,  where  the  waves  were  running  so  high  that  when  the 
mussels  opened  their  mouths  to  answer  the  sprite  they  only 
seemed  to  gurgle  instead  of  speak. 

"  '  What  do  they  say  ?'  asked  the  sprite. 

"  '  They  say  that  you  are  a  great  way  from  your  home,'  re- 
plied the  bird,  as  he  could  understand  the  mussel  language 
much  better  than  the  sprite  could. 


Mischievous  Nip.  53 

"  The  friendly  chicken  brought  the  sprite  all  sorts  of  things 
to  eat,  such  as  made  his  own  supper,  but  the  delicate  stranger 
could  not  touch  the  food. 

"  '  I  will  call  on  you  in  the  morning  again.'  With  that  the 
bird  flew  away. 

"  The  last  prank  the  sprite  ever  played  was  to  try  on  the 
magic  carpet-bag  before  the  amazed  Petrel.  When  the  bird 
returned  at  sunrise,  an  oak -leaf  lay  on  the  grave  of  the  tree, 
and  the  sprite  had  faded  from  life." 

When  the  Laurel  Queen  ceased  speaking,  some  of  her  fairy 
audience  clapped  their  hands  politely. 

"  Poor  little  sprite,"  said  Job. 

"  I  knew  the  oak-tree  well,"  said  a  Winter  Fairy.  "  How 
many  times  we  hung  its  branches  with  icicles.  It  was  years 
ago,  to  be  sure — but  fairies  never  grow  old  ;  the  children  who 
believe  in  us  become  men  and  women,  and  forget  us.  We  are 
always  the  same." 

"  Will  somebody  please  make  Nip  behave  ?"  asked  the  clock, 
in  an  injured  tone.  "  I  know  that  he  is  trying  to  make  mis- 
chief with  my  works  by  the  way  he  spies  through  the  keyhole 
of  my  case.  If  he  pokes  me  I  shall  run  down,  or  come  to  a 
dead -lock  in  my  machinery,  and  that  has  never  yet  happened 
to  me." 

Nip,  who  had  been  capering  around  the  kitchen  while  the 
Laurel  Queen  told  her  story,  now  assumed  the  most  innocent 
look. 

"  Dear  me,  how  touchy  you  are,  Clock  !  I  was  only  trying 
to   see   how  you   were   made.     Perhaps   I  shall   invent   a   time- 


54  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

piece  myself  one  of  these  fine  days.  It's  not  uncommon  where 
I  come  from,"  he  said. 

"  If  you  don't  go  away  I  shall  strike,  and  that  will  put  me 
out  of  order.     Be  off  with  you  !"  said  the  clock. 

"  Come  here,  Nip,"  coaxed  Job,  holding  out  his  hand.  So 
Nip  flew  up  and  sat  in  the  palm  of  Job's  hand,  crossing  his 
legs  like  a  Turk.  If  Job  closed  his  fingers  gently  over  the 
saucy  elf,  he  seemed  to  hold  a  velvet  insect. 

The  little  mouse  still  crouched  in  the  corner,  not  daring 
to  say  its  body  was  its  own  while  the  Angora  cat's  eye  was 
fixed  on  it. 

"  It  is  my  turn  to  tell  a  story,"  said  one  of  the  Summer 
Fairies,  walking  up  and  down  the  hearth,  wrapped  in  the  red 
poppy  cloak. 


The  Eljin  Banquet.  57 


RAPP,  THE   GNOME  KING. 

"  Many  years  ago,  before  the  white  race  came  to  live  on  the 
banks  of  oar  Hudson,  a  certain  Elf  King  decided  to  give  a  tea- 
party  on  one  of  these  very  mountains,  and  to  invite  a  great 
prince.  He  chose  a  peak  over  yonder.  Do  you  see  the  high 
hill  on  the  right  now  covered  with  snow  ?  Well,  there  the  Elf 
gave  his  banquet. 

"  Now  the  guest  was  no  less  a  person  than  Rapp,  King  of 
the  Gnomes  ;  and  if  you  never  heard  of  him  before,  it  is  quite 
time  he  was  made  known  to  you.  In  the  first  place,  he  was  a 
dwarf,  with  green  eyes,  a  red  nose,  yellow  hair  of  spun  gold, 
and  a  face  of  copper.  His  kingdom  was  in  the  depths  of  the 
earth  ;  sometimes  he  lived  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  again 
in  the  Andes.  He  did  not  mind  stepping  from  one  continent 
to  the  other  in  the  least.  The  volcanic  fires  such  as  burst 
forth  from  the  summits  of  Vesuvius  and  Etna  were  fed  by  his 
subjects,  and  his  domain  extended  over  the  rocks  which  arc 
richly  veined  with  gold  and  silver. 

"  When  Rapp  felt  ill-humored  he  liked  to  bury  himself  in 
some  remote  cavern,  and  the  earth  then  rumbled  with  his 
anger  ;  but  he  also  enjoyed  appearing  in  the  upper  world  oc- 
casionally, to  see  what  every  one  was  about.  He  graciously 
accepted  the  Elf's  invitation  to  tea.  The  clever  Elf  people  had 
been  very  busy  with  the  mountain-peak  to  make  it  elegant  for 


58  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

that  day.  They  smoothed  the  rough,  sharply  pointed  rocks 
into  slender  pillars  draped  in  vines  ;  a  fountain  gushed  in  spark- 
ling jets  of  spray,  and  a  carpet  of  velvet  moss  sloped  from  the 
brink  of  the  fountain,  fit  for  the  dainty  feet  about  to  trip  over 
it.  A  grotto  of  pure  crystal  reflected  the  light  in  a  thousand 
glittering  pendants,  so  that  it  resembled  transparent  ice.  In 
this  grotto  was  spread  a  feast  of  delicious  fruits — golden  or- 
anges, ruddy  apples  and  pears  in  silver  vases,  crimson  peach- 
es, and  pyramids  of  amber  honey. 

"  '  I  hope  everything  is  in  order,'  said  the  Elf  King.  He  was 
very  small,  but  he  wore  a  red  smoking -cap  on  his  head,  and 
slippers  on  his  feet,  crochetted  by  the  Queen  out  of  milkweed 
flax.  He  wished  to  appear  at  his  ease  before  the  great  Rapp, 
yet  he  was  terribly  flustered  for  fear  of  a  blunder  being  made 
in  the  entertainment.  The  Queen  was  pretty  and  delicate ;  her 
apron  had  for  pockets  two  wings  of  the  lady-bug. 

"  '  Let  us  dance,'  cried  the  young  elves. 

"  '  Not  yet,'  piped  the  King.  '  Rapp  will  be  here  very  soon, 
and  you  must  be  ready  to  make  your  best  bow  or  courtesy.' 

"  The  little  Elf  ladies  spread  their  gauzy  skirts,  and  bowed 
low  as  Rapp  and  his  Gnomes  appeared.  Rapp,  being  in  a  very 
good-humor,  winked  at  them,  and  one  cannot  expect  more  no- 
tice  than  that  from  a  prince. 

"  It  was  droll  to  see  the  Elf  King  and  Queen  seated  opposite 
to.  him  at  table,  he  was  so  much  larger  than  they  were.  The 
Elf  waiters  were  obliged  to  climb  silk  ladders,  which  they  did 
as  nimbly  as  spiders. 

Rapp  was  full  of  his  jokes ;  he  told  stories  at  which  the 
merry  elves  laughed,  like  the  tinkle  of  bells,  and  then  he  rolled 


hi  the  Charmed  Circle.  59 

a  peach  across  the  board,  which  knocked  the  Elf  King  off  his 
seat. 

"  A  child's  voice  was  heard  to  join  in  the  mirth  this  oc- 
casioned. Yes,  it  was  a  human  voice,  just  beyond  the  bushes. 
The  elves  looked  at  each  o flier  in  dismay  ;  Rapp  became  ter- 
ribly enraged :  his  copper  face  glowed  with  wrath,  his  gold 
hair  bristled  on  end  like  gilded  spikes,  and  his  green  eyes 
flashed  fire. 

"  '  What  mortal  is  here  ?'  he  cried. 

"  Then  a  little  girl  crept  out  of  the  ferns,  and  stood  trem- 
bling before  him.  She  had  entered  a  charmed  circle  without 
knowing  it,  and  had  since  watched  the  elves.  She  was  not 
like  the  little  girls  one  sees  here  now.  Her  skin  was  bronze 
in  color,  her  hair  hung  down  her  back  straight  and  black,  her 
feet  were  shod  in  moccasins.  You  only  find  children  like  her 
in  the  far  West — she  was  an  Indian. 

" '  Why  do  you  disturb  our  feast,  child  of  man  ?'  asked 
Rapp,  very  fiercely.  '  I  have  only  to  strike  the  earth,  and  my 
servants  will  carry  you  away  to  my  palace  underground  for  a 
hundred  years.' 

"  The  child  began  to  cry  at  this  threat,  and  the  elves  caught 
her  tears  to  sprinkle  them  over  the  Gnome  King's  hands,  and 
thus  try  to  soften  his  heart,  which  was  in  reality  made  of  iron. 

" '  This  is  my  kingdom,'  said  the  Elf  King,  with  dignity. 
'  You  are  my  guest,  King  Rapp.  The  little  girl  shall  not  be 
hurt' 

"  '  Tell  us  your  story,'  said  the  Queen,  kindly. 

" '  A  story !  a  story !'  cried  the  elves,  clustering  about  the 
stranger,  while  Rapp  leaned  back  in  his  seat,  and  shut  one  eye. 


60  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

"  Then  the  Indian  girl  told  them  all  about  her  life.  She 
lived  with  her  tribe  down  in  the  valley.  Her  father  had  been 
killed  in  the  chase,  and  her  mother  also  was  dead,  so  she  stayed 
in  the  wigwam  with  her  grandmother  on  the  ed^e  of  the  wood. 
The  chief  did  not  like  the  hunter's  children  ;  he  took  away  the 
boys  to  train  them  for  warriors,  and  he  frowned  at  the  girl,  so 
that  the  old  grandmother  hid  her  when  the  chief  stalked  past, 
his  feathers  and  war-paint  giving  him  a  savage  appearance. 
Perhaps  he  did  not  like  the  children  because  their  father  had 
been  called  Big  Chief.  The  old  grandmother  gathered  herbs 
and  simples  ;  she  was  called  to  the  sick  as  often  as  the  medi- 
cine-men. 

"  The  brothers  rode  off  to  earn  their  first  scalp,  as  they 
could  not  be  considered  heroes  until  they  had  killed  an  enemy  ; 
and  one  day  the  girl  sat  weaving  her  mat  in  the  door  of  the 
wigwam,  for  the  Indian  women  are  very  industrious.  The  old 
grandmother  came  quickly. 

"  '  Run  to  the  forest,'  she  whispered.  '  The  chief  is  in  a 
bad  humor,  and,  now  your  brothers  are  gone,  he  sends  for 
you.' 

"  The  girl  was  in  a  great  fright,  the  chief  was  so  cruel,  and 
she  ran  to  the  forest  without  once  glancing  back.  Soon  she 
was  lost  in  the  cool,  green  twilight  made  by  the  lofty  trees  ; 
here  and  there  the  sunshine  shot  golden  arrows  down  on  her 
path,  revealing  mossy  nooks  where  she  discovered  berries,  ripe 
and  dewy,  among  tangled  vines.  The  flutter  of  a  bird  rising 
from  its  nest  or  the  crackling  of  a  branch  made  her  heart 
jump,  so  much  did  she  dread  seeing  one  of  her  own  people. 
If  one   had   met  her  he   must  carry  her  back  to  the   chief,  or 


The  Magic  Pool. 


61 


^tii 


"mmmim 


perhaps  suffer  death  himself.  She  climbed  the  mountain  to 
get  farther  away,  her  only  thought  being  flight.  At  last  she 
reached  a  pool  of  clear  water,  high  on  the  mountain-side,  where 
his  highness  Rapp  was  taking  tea,  and  she  stooped  to  bathe 
her  face.  No  sooner  had  the  crystal  drops  sprinkled  her  fore- 
head than  she  sank  down  on  a  bed  of  grass  fast  asleep.  Then 
the  ferns  spread  their  delicate  sprays  over  her,  and  screened 
her  from  sight.  She  never  knew  how  long  her  nap  might  have 
been  had  not  Rapp's  gruff  voice  aroused  her  to  peep  through 
the  foliage  at  the  tea-party  in  the  grotto. 

"  The  little  people  were  interested  in  the  girl's  misfortunes. 
Rapp  pretended  not  to  notice,  and  caught  flies,  but  he  really 
meant  to  assist  her. 

" '  Go    down    to    my   winter    palace,'   he    said   to    a    favorite 


62  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

Gnome  servant,  'and  in  my  dressing-room  you  will  find  a 
winged  jacket.     Bring  it  to  me.' 

"  The  Gnome  servant  bowed  low,  and  dived  into  the  earth 
as  a  bather  dips  in  the  ocean  wave.  Presently  he  returned 
with  the  winged  jacket,  which  the  girl  put  on. 

" '  Now  listen  to  me,'  said  King  Rapp.  '  You  can  fly  like  a 
bird  in  that  jacket.  If  you  wish  to  come  into  my  presence  at 
any  time,  you  have  only  to  clap  the  wings  thrice,  like  Chanti- 
cleer before  crowing,  and  you  will  be  met  by  a  Gnome,  who 
will  conduct  you  to  my  kingdom.  You  must  go  to  my  cham- 
ber, and  knock  on  the  steel  shield  at  the  head  of  my  bed. 
Wherever  I  may  be  I  will  answer  the  summons.' 

"  The  Indian  girl  thanked  the  terrible  Rapp,  and  dried  her 
tears.  Then  the  tiny  Elf  Queen  gave  her  her  apron,  which 
grew  larger  and  seemed  made  of  the  finest  silk. 

"  '  Whatever  article  you  desire  can  be  had,  if  you  wish  with 
your  hand  in  your  pocket,'  she  said. 

"  Now  the  Elf  King  did  not  choose  to  be  considered  behind 
the  others  in  kindness,  so  he  took  off  his  slippers,  and  placed 
them  on  the  child's  feet,  which  they  fitted  perfectly. 

"  '  The  Queen  can  make  me  another  pair,'  he  said,  capering 
about  barefooted.  '  You  can  run  miles  in  those  shoes  without 
feeling  weary,  and  the  best  of  it  is  that  they  will  carry  you 
over  the  water  dryshod.' 

"  The  Indian  bid  them  all  farewell,  and  stepped  outside  the 
enchanted  circle.  Instantly  the  grotto,  the  murmuring  fount- 
ain, the  flower-carpet  vanished. 

"  The  sun  had  set,  and  dark  shadows  spread  along  the  forest 
paths   as   the  girl   hastened   home.     She  would   creep  into   the 


A  Strange  Apparition.  63 

grandmother's  wigwam  in  the  darkness,  and  tell  her  of  the 
fairy  gifts  she  had  received.  The  cruel  chief  need  not  be 
feared  when  she  was  the  owner  of  a  winged  jacket  and  the  elf 
slippers.  If  the  grandmother  thought  best,  she  would  go  away  in 
the  morning,  and  find  another  tribe  that  would  treat  her  kindly. 
"  When  she  reached  the  valley  where  the  Indian  settlement 
was  situated  it  was  already  night,  and  so  dark  that  she  could 
not  find  her  wigwam,  while  she  feared  to  arouse  the  sleeping 
natives.  Down  on  the  river- bank  she  saw  little  lights,  bright 
stars  that  twinkled,  some  moving  on  the  water,  and  others  re- 
maining still  on  the  land.  This  sight  puzzled  her,  and  she 
dreaded  to  approach  near  enough  to  learn  what  they  actually 
were.  While  she  was  wondering,  a  great  boat  passed  down 
the  river,  sparkling  all  over  with  colored  flame  which  did  not 
burn,  and  it  panted  as   it  moved  like   some   monster  breathing 


64  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

heavily.  It  was  as  large  as  one  hundred  canoes  put  together. 
The  girl  held  her  head  in  both  hands,  and  crouched  down  on 
the  ground. 

"  More  wonderful  still !  On  the  other  side  of  the  river  an- 
other terrible  creature  moved  quickly  along,  with  a  grinding, 
jarring  sound.  This  one  was  like  a  serpent,  with  links  to  its 
body,  and  it  glided  over  a  shining  track.  The  water  -  demon 
only  puffed  as  it  moved,  this  other  one  uttered  a  shriek  that 
startled  all  the  echoes.  The  Indian  girl  hid  her  face  on  the 
bank.     She  had  seen  a  steamboat  and  a  train  of  cars. 

"  These  strange  sights  decided  her  not  to  go  beyond  the 
edge  of  the  woods  until  daylight.  So  she  wished  for  a  tent 
in  which  to  pass  the  night  by  putting  her  hand  into  the  apron 
pocket.  A  tent  immediately  sprang  up  in  the  ravine,  and 
when  she  had  entered  it  she  began  to  feel  hungry. 

"  '  I  should  like  a  pot  of  hominy.' 

"  Lo !  a  caldron  stood  before  her  smoking  with  the  most 
delicious  hominy,  and  tasting  as  if  the  grandmother  had  just 
taken  it  from  the  camp-fire.  Then  she  lay  down  on  the 
ground  and  slept  soundly,  until  the  first  beams  of  the  rising 
sun  awakened  her. 

"  The  village  people  were  much  surprised  to  see  an  Indian 
girl  approach,  wearing  a  curious  jacket  with  little  wings  on  the 
shoulders,  and  glittering  slippers  on  her  feet.  She  was  equally 
astonished  by  their  white  faces  and  houses.  Where  was  the 
lodge  of  the  cruel  chief  ?  Where  were  the  patches  of  maize 
tended  by  the  women  ?     Where  was  the  grandmother  ? 

"  '  Have  my  people  gone  away  ?     Who  has  conquered  them  ?' 

"  But  the  villagers  did  not  know  what  she  said,  and  the  rude 


The  Toad  Family.  65 

boys   formed    a    ring    around    her,  shouting,  '  You    arc    a    witch- 
child  !      Let's  catch   her.' 

"  She  sprang  high  in  the  air  with  one  bound,  spread  her 
wings,  and   flew  away  before  their  eyes. 

"  The  people  were  greatly  excited  ;  they  ran  about  gazing 
up  at  the  little  bird-like  form  in  the  sky  much  as  we  now 
look  at  a  balloon  ;  then  they  ran  to  the  ravine  where  the  beau- 
tiful white  tent  still  stood.  While  they  observed  it  the  tent 
vanished. 

"  l  She  is  an  Indian  witch,'  cried  the  boys. 

"  '  It  is  all  Rapp  and  his  Gnomes,"  said  an  old  woman. 

"  The  boys  flung  burning  brands  on  the  spot  where  the  tent 
had  stood,  and  the  witch-child  watched  the  flames  kindle  as  she 
hovered  far  above.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done  further  with 
the  old  home  ;  she  must  search  for  her  own  people,  and  follow 
them  wherever  they  had  gone.  She  swept  along  through  the 
air  with  a  delightfully  easy  motion,  and  did  not  mind  traversing 
miles  any  more  than  steps  on  the  ground. 

"  At  a  great  distance  from  these  mountains  a  toad  family 
lived  at  the  root  of  an  elm-tree.  They  were  yellow  and  brown 
and  ugly,  but  according  to  their  own  ideas  the  young  lady- 
toads  were  quite  beautiful.  They  came  forth  in  the  evening 
to  take  the  air. 

"  '  Bless  my  spectacles !'  cried  the  toad  mother.  '  Here  is  a 
witch-child  in  a  winged  jacket.  Be  very  pleasant  in  your  man- 
ners, children.  We  shall  see  if  my  Lord  Rapp  is  always  to 
have  his  own  way !' 

"  Then  she  hopped  to  the  strangers  feet,  she  having  alighted 
for  the  night,  and  said  blandly : 

E 


66  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

'•' '  You  must  be  very  tired,  my  dear.     Have  you  come  far  ?' 

"  '  Yes.     Can  you  tell  me  where  to  find  my  people  ?' 

"  '  The  snail  may  know.  Stay  with  us  to  -  night  and  rest. 
We  are  only  toads,  but  we  have  a  guest-chamber.' 

"  The  toad  family  were  so  kind  that  the  Indian  told 
them  her  story;  she  so  much  desired  to  find  her  own  tribe 
again. 

"  The  toads  blinked  and  nodded  their  heads.  The  toad 
mother,  after  going  to  the  snail  which  lay  in  the  path,  and 
tapping  on  its  closed  door,  presently  returned. 

"  '  The  snail  is  a  hermit ;  it  does  not  go  out  into  society,  but 
likes  to  stay  shut  up  in  its  own  house.  However,  it  will  ask 
the  night  moths,  and  tell  you  in  the  morning.  Now  go  to  bed, 
darling,'  she  said. 

"  The  toad  guest-chamber  was  cool  and  pleasant,  for  it  was 
the  grass  around  the  tree.  They  took  off  the  visitors  slippers 
and  apron  for  her,  and  tried  to  coax  her  out  of  her  jacket  as 
well,  but  this  the  witch- child  kept  on  her  back.  She  was  no 
sooner  asleep  than  the  toad  mother  waddled  out  to  whisper  to 
the  little  garden-snake  : 

"  '  Run  to  Mulkgraub  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  tell  him  to 
meet  me  at  the  toadstool  turnpike  to-morrow.' 

"  '  I  never  run — I  glide,'  said  the  snake. 

"  '  Fiddle-de-dee,  and  don't  be  silly.     Hurry !'  said  the  toad. 

"  When  the  witch-child  awoke  her  lovely  slippers  and  apron 
were  gone,  and  the  toads  had  also  vanished. 

"  Searching  everywhere  she  came  to  the  marsh. 

"  '  What  is  the  matter  ?'  croaked  a  frog,  dressed  in  green. 

"  '  The  toads  have  stolen  my  magic  shoes,'  she  replied. 


A  very  A/can   Trick.  67 

"  4  That  is  like  a  toad.  You  would  not  catch  a  frog  at  such 
mean  tricks.     Besides,  Mulkgraub  pays  them.' 

"  '  Who  is  Mulkgraub  ?'  inquired  the  Indian. 

"'An  enemy  of  King  Rapp,'  said  the  frog. 

"  '  Where  can  I  find  my  people  ?'  said  the  child. 

"  '  Ask  the  eagle,  if  you  are  not  afraid,'  returned  the  frog. 

"  '  An  Indian  is  never  afraid  of  bird  or  beast ;  it's  only  those 
pale  faces  that  change  everything,'  she  said,  proudly. 

"  Then  she  sought  the  eagle. 

" '  Go  toward  the  setting  sun — always  westward,'  said  the 
eagle.     '  Mind  that  Mulkgraub  does  not  catch  you.' 

"  '  Where  does  he  live  ?'  inquired  our  witch-child. 

"  '  He  lives  in  the  water,  and  he  cannot  go  very  far  on  land. 
He  loves  to  pour  floods  over  the  earth  and  into  Rapp's  mines. 
They  are  enemies,  because  Rapp  can  quench  Mulkgraub  with 
fire,  so  that  he  becomes  a  vapor-steam.' 

"  The  witch-child  thanked  the  great  eagle  and  flew  on. 

"  In  the  meanwhile  the  ugly  old  toad  mother  met  Mulk- 
graub at  the  toadstool  turnpike,  and  gave  him  the  slippers 
and  apron. 

"  One  would  not  have  believed  him  so  wicked,  for  he  was 
fair  and  handsome,  with  a  crown  of  rushes  on  his  head,  and 
drops  of  water  flowed  from  his  mantle. 

"  '  Perhaps  I  may  drown  out  Rapp  yet,  if  the  rain  only  helps 
me,'  he  said,  and  swallowed  the  slippers  and  apron  as  if  they 
had  been  pills. 

"  He  promised  to  give  a  wedding  outfit  to  the  toad  daughter 
that  married  first,  and  the  mother  hopped  home  well  satisfied, 
like  the  mean  old  toad  she  was. 


68 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


"  The  second  evening  the  witch-child  found  a  beautiful  lady 
sitting  on  the  border  of  a  lake.  She  was  robed  in  leaves,  and 
her  long  hair  was  also  green  ;  but  she  was  altogether  lovely, 
even  if  her  look  was  sad.  She  seemed  very  glad  to  see  the 
witch-child,  and  made  her  sit  down  beside  her,  while  she  held 
her  hand. 

"  '  I  am  chained  beneath  the  waters,  and  can  only  rise  to  the 
surface  of  the  lake,'  she  said.  '  I  lived  on  the  mainland  very 
happily  until  Mulkgraub  carried  me  off  in  a  great  storm.' 

"  '  Let  me  see  your  home,'  urged  the  witch-child,  curiously. 

"  '  Mulkgraub  might  come  and  find  you,'  hesitated  the  lady. 

"  '  I  am  not  afraid  while  I  wear  my  jacket.' 

"  '  Then  you  must  be  prepared  to  live  in  the  water,  or  the 
first  breath   you   draw  will  strangle   you.'     So   saying  the   lady 


The  Island  Lady's  Prison.  69 

drew  from  her  girdle  a  golden  clam-shell  closed  in  the  form  of 
a  bottle,  which  contained  a  perfumed  liquid.  With  this  she 
bathed  her  companion's  face,  and  they  dived  together  into  the 
lake,  where  the  Indian  found  that  she  could  breathe  as  easily 
as  in  upper  air. 

"  Nothing  could  exceed  the  beauty  of  the  prison  where  the 
lady  lived  ;  certainly  Mulkgraub  had  given  her  a  handsome  resi- 
dence, if  he  was  harsh  in  other  respects.  It  was  a  large  glass 
box,  with  a  bell-shaped  roof  ;  a  broad  hall  extended  from  one 
entrance  to  the  other,  but  there  was  not  a  dark  corner  in  the 
place  where  one  could  hide  from  the   King's  searching  eye. 

"  '  He  is  coming,'  cried  the  lady,  hiding  the  witch-child  in  the 
folds  of  her  robe.  Then,  as  Mulkgraub  entered  one  door,  she 
darted  out  of  the  other,  and  rising  to  the  lake  surface  as  far 
as  her  chain  would  allow,  placed  the  Indian  on  shore  safely. 
Once  out  of  harm's  way  the  witch-child  began  to  think  of  re- 
leasing the  lady  from  prison.  She  must  ask  King  Rapp  about 
the  matter.  Accordingly  she  clapped  her  wings  thrice,  and  a 
Gnome  stood  at  her  elbow. 

"  '  Is  King  Rapp  well  ?'  she  asked,  politely. 

" '  Of  course,'  said  the  Gnome,  gruffly.  '  He  is  made  of 
metal.' 

"  Then  he  stamped  on  the  ground,  and  away  they  went  down 
dark  passages,  through  caves,  past  silent  pools  where  the  sun 
never  shone  —  down,  down,  until  it  seemed  as  if  they  must 
come  out  the  other  side  of  the  world.  Here  she  peeped  into 
vast  treasure-houses  of  rich  ore  ;  there  she  paused  before  walls 
of  mineral  salt ;  and  finally  they  reached  the  Gnome  palace, 
where  the  atmosphere  was  hot  enough  to  bake  one. 


jo  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

"  A  spacious  garden  surrounded  the  palace,  with  winding 
paths,  arbors,  and  fountains,  and  gorgeous  birds  flitted  from 
tree  to  tree.  All  was  fresh  and  sparkling,  but  even  the  trees 
and  the  fruit  on  the  branches  were  carved  from  metals  or 
jewels.  The  walls  of  the  palace  were  jasper  and  malachite, 
while  the  floors  were  solid  gold,  polished  like  glass. 

"  On  they  went,  through  the  gates  and  into  the  palace,  com- 
ing to  the  Gnome  King's  chamber,  which  had  a  ceiling  of  dia- 
mond stars,  and  a  bed  of  silver,  fringed  and  embroidered  with 
pearls.  At  the  head  of  the  bed  hung  the  large  shield,  and  the 
witch-child  tapped  on  it.  Rapp  appeared  immediately,  his  eyes 
greener,  his  carbuncle  nose  redder,  and  his  face  more  like  a 
burnished  copper  kettle  than  ever. 

"  '  I  want  to  help  the  lady  chained  in  the  lake.' 

"  '  She  is  an  island,'  said  Rapp.  '  When  the  lake  overflowed 
it  made  her  an  island  by  separation  from  the  mainland.' 

"  '  Mulkgraub  is  very  wicked  to  keep  her  a  prisoner  against 
ner  will,'  said  the  witch -child.  '  Please  assist  me  to  set  her 
free  from  his  bondage.' 

"  '  As  to  that,  we  are  sworn  enemies  ;  my  weapon  is  volcanic 
fire,  and  his  floods  of  water.  Mulkgraub  would  make  you  a 
slave,  if  he  could,  because  I  helped  you  ;  still,  you  must  remem- 
ber that  he  does  a  great  deal  of  good  in  the  world,  as  well  as 
some  harm.' 

"  '  What  good  can  he  do  ?'  inquired  the  witch-child. 

"  '  He  works  hard  for  man,  carrying  vessels,  pushing  rafts, 
and  turning  mill-wheels.  If  it  were  not  for  my  precious  metals, 
he  would  be  of  more  service  than  I  am.  As  for  this  lady  isl- 
and, we  must  see.' 


The  Magic  Herb.  jt, 

"  Rapp  stroked  his  beard  in  profound  reflection  a  moment, 
then  struck  the  steel  shield  seven  times.  A  peal  of  thunder 
seemed  to  roll  over  the  palace,  and  a  Giant  appeared,  whose  ar- 
mor resembled  dragon  scales,  with  a  helmet  of  brass  on  his  head. 

"  '  I  obey  your  call,  King  Rapp,'  he  said,  in  a  deep  voice. 

"  '  What  can  restore  the  island  lady  to  her  home  ?'  asked 
Rapp. 

"  '  If  she  can  pour  some  magic  drops  into  his  evening  cup 
of  coffee  that  will  make  Mulkgraub  sleep,  I  will  bring  my 
brother,  Fire,  to  dry  the  water  between  her  and  the  mainland, 
her  former  home,'  said  the  Giant. 

"  '  How  can  the  drink  be  obtained  ?'  demanded  Rapp. 

"  '  Send  a  Gnome  to  the  meadow  beyond  the  brook  for  the 
herb  which  has  a  scarlet  flower  and  blue  leaves.  Put  this  into 
a  bottle,  which  the  witch-child  will  give  the  prisoner.  When 
Mulkgraub  sleeps,  the  Indian  must  spring  twice  over  the  top  of 
the  pine-tree,  calling  Fire,  softly.  I  will  answer.'  With  this 
advice  the  Giant  thundered  away  again. 

"  Rapp  sent  for  the  herb  with  a  scarlet  flower  and  blue 
leaves,  the  liquid  was  distilled  into  a  bottle,  and  the  witch- 
child  once  more  stood  on  the  ground  in  the  daylight.  There 
was  the  sad  island  lady  dragging  her  chain,  and  wishing  her- 
self home  on  the  mainland.  She  was  given  the  bottle,  and 
quickly  told  what  to  do  when  Mulkgraub  came  to  her  glass 
box  for  his  evening  coffee. 

"  The  witch-child  hid  on  the  shore,  and  watched  for  the  sig- 
nal which  was  to  assure  her  that  Mulkgraub  slept.  At  last  the 
lady  rose  to  the  surface  and  waved  her  hand.  Up  sprang  the 
witch-child  over  the  top  of  the  pine-tree,  touching  the   ground 


74  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

on  the  other  side,  and  rebounding  again*  like  an  India-rubber 
ball.  '  Fire !  fire !'  she  called  very  softly,  under  her  breath. 
Lo  !  the  earth  opened  and  two  giant  heads  emerged ;  but  if 
Wind,  already  seen  by  the  girl,  was  terrible,  Fire  was  more 
so,  for  a  ruddy  glow  came  from  his  body,  and  the  grass  with- 
ered before  him.  The  Giant  stood  on  the  bank,  and  hurled  a 
burning  torch  into  the  lake,  between  the  shore  and  the  place 
where  the  island  was  chained,  and  the  torch  devoured  the 
water,  which  rose  in  a  cloud  of  steam,  so  that  the  lady  stepped 
dry-shod  back  to  the  mainland. 

"  Then  there  was  great  rejoicing  over  her  return  among  the 
rocks  and  trees,  and  the  witch-child  received  much  praise  for 
her  conduct. 

"  '  There  is  a  storm  coming,'  shouted  Wind.  '  I  go  to  share 
the  sport — uprooting  trees  and  whisking  off  steeples  and  chim- 
neys.' 

"  '  As  for  me,  work  is  never  done  in  the  earth,'  said  Fire. 

"  Mulkgraub  awoke  after  the  mischief  was  accomplished ; 
the  glass  box  exploded  like  a  soap  bubble. 

"  This  is  your  turn,  Rapp,'  he  said.  '  Wait  until  the  spring- 
freshets  help  me  to  repay  you  !' 

"  Always  seeking  her  tribe  and  never  finding  them,  the  witch- 
child  flew  on  toward  the  West.  Far  below  she  saw  lakes,  riv- 
ers, and  cities  ;  then  the  wide  expanse  of  prairie  became  visible, 
like  a  sea  of  waving  grain. 

" '  This  must  be  the  end  of  the  earth,'  she  thought,  and 
paused. 

"  It  was  evening,  and  the  little  prairie  dogs  were  sitting  on 
top  of  their  mounds  to  see  what  was  going  on,  for  they  were 


Ahuays  Wcshuard.  75 

very  curious.  When  the  Indian  girl  paused  to  observe  them, 
they  gave  a  shrill  bark,  and  dived  out  of  sight  in  their  burrows. 

"  '  Can  you  tell  me  where  to  find  my  people  ?' 

"  At  that  all  the  prairie  dogs  put  out  their  little  noses,  and 
one  answered — 

"  '  The  red  man  has  gone  beyond  ;  you  will  find  him  farther 
on.' 

"  '  Always  farther  on,'  sighed  the  Indian,  wearily. 

"  '  Perhaps  you  will  tell  me  something  I  should  very  much 
like  to  know,'  said  the  prairie  dog,  again  perching  on  his 
mound.  '  If  you  made  a  burrow  for  yourself  and  family,  would 
you  enjoy  having  a  white  owl  and  a  rattlesnake  come  to  live 
with  you  whether  invited  or  not  ?' 

"  '  I  should  not,'  replied  the  witch-child. 

"  '  Look  here,  then,'  and  the  prairie  dog  showed  her  the  hole 
in  the  ground  where  it  dwelt,  and  where  the  owl  and  the  snake 
would  lodge  too. 

"  '  There  is  room  for  us  all,'  said  the  owl,  in  a  comfortable 
way,  as  if  the  prairie  dogs  words  did  not  hurt  much. 

"  The  witch-child  walked  forward.  The  sky  seemed  to  meet 
the  horizon  in  a  flat  line  before  her  ;  shadows  rippled  over  the 
ripening  acres  of  corn.  She  very  well  knew  that  her  race 
never  planted  these  fields  ;  a  patch  to  last  one  summer  satisfied 
them,  and  the  next  year  they  might  select  another  spot  to  till. 
Not  a  human  beinQ-  was  visible  ;  all  the  scene  was  very  calm 
and  still. 

"  At  length  she  reached  a  stream  bordered  with  cottonwood- 
trees,  and  paused  to  drink.  Hither  filed  a  herd  of  buffalo  to 
slake  their  thirst. 


76 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


"  '  We  know  your  people  well,'  they  said.  '  They  hunt  and 
slay  us  in  great  numbers.  We  may  be  quietly  browsing  with- 
out thought  of  danger,  when  the  Indians  rush  down  on  us  like 
the  wind,  and  hurl  arrows  at  us  before  we  know  well  what  we 
are  about.' 

"  '  Where  shall  I  find  them  ?'  the  girl  asked,  eagerly. 

"  '  Farther  to  the  west.' 

"  The  buffaloes  thrust  their  muzzles  in  the  cooling  waters, 
and  the  witch-child  also  held  her  brown  hands  in  the  stream. 

" '  Mulkgraub,  I  begin  to  love  you,'  she  whispered.  '  Here 
you  are  no  longer  terrible  and  mischievous,  but  give  life  and 
refreshment  to  all  creatures.'  Then  she  saw  Mulkgraub's  fair 
face  laughing  up  at  her  from  the  clear  depths,  and  the  next 
moment  her  Elf  slippers  were  tossed  on  the  bank.  These  she 
put  on  and  ran  so  swiftly  that  she  seemed  a  sunbeam  chased 
along  the  grass  by  the  god  of  day. 

"  An  emigrant  train  passed,  the  white  wagons  loaded  with 
household  furniture  ;  the  mothers  and  infants  riding  while  the 
fathers  and  sons  walked  before,  on  the  watch  for  enemies.  The 
route  was  lon^  and  full  of  danger. 


"  The  witch  -  child  presently  heard  cries  of  distress,  and 
mounted  on  her  wings  to  see  what  had  happened.  The 
emigrants    had   paused   to    search   for   one    of  their   number,  a 


The  Little  Papoose.  77 

boy  who  had  strayed  away.  Nothing  can  be  more  terrible 
than  to  be  lost  in  such  a  place.  If  savages  find  the  wanderer, 
it  may  be  to  scalp  him  or  make  him  a  prisoner  ;  hunger  and 
death  come  sooner  than  the  savages. 

"  As  soon  as  she  discovered  what  was  the  matter,  the  witch- 
child  flew  back,  and  saw  the  boy  trying  to  find  the  path.  He- 
felt  a  hand  placed  on  his  shoulder  which  guided  him  in  the 
right  direction,  until  he  could  again  behold  the  white  wagons 
of  the  emigrants. 

"  Once  more  mounting  into  the  sky,  the  witch-child  came  to 
a  region  of  furze,  sage,  and  wormwood,  with  lofty  peaks  be- 
yond. She  noticed  a  smoke  as  of  many  fires,  and  her  heart 
bounded  with  the  hope  that  she  had  found  her  tribe  at  last. 
Here  were  lodges  and  tents,  dried  venison,  and  a  few  horses 
near ;  but  the  fires  came  from  smouldering  ruins  of  an  en- 
campment. There  had  been  a  battle  between  warring  tribes, 
and  the  place  surprised.  The  witch-child  approached  sadly, 
and  what  do  you  suppose  she  found  ?  A  little  papoose  lying 
in  a  folded  blanket  unharmed.  She  took  it  up  to  kiss,  and 
the  baby  crowed  and  smiled.  What  was  she  to  do  with  it  ? 
Carrying  it  on  her  back,  Indian  fashion,  she  climbed  the  first 
slopes  of  the   Rocky  Mountains,  one  of  King  Rapp's  homes. 

"  It  was  well  that  she  had  recovered  her  Elf  slippers,  the 
baby  was  so  heavy  she  could  not  fly.  Those  were  happy  days ! 
She  fed  the  little  thing  with  berries,  and  sang  it  to  sleep,  de- 
lighted with  the  pretty  brown  face  and  bright  eyes. 

"  One  night  she  reached  a  house,  a  lonely  ranch  of  the  bor- 
der settler.  You  would  have  mistaken  her  for  a  thief  to  see 
her  steal  past  the  watch-dog  into  the  chamber  where  the  chil- 


78  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

dren  slept.  Beside  these  white  children  she  laid  the  Indian 
baby,  the  last  of  its  tribe,  and  went  away  as  noiselessly  as  she 
came. 

"  Fortunately  this  was  a  good  home  for  her  charge.  Next 
day  as  she  rested  at  noon,  the  loud  report  of  a  rifle  startled 
her,  and  a  wounded  mountain -goat  came  tumbling  down  into 
the  valley.  She  took  to  her  wings  in  fright ;  but  as  she  darted 
up  into  the  air,  the  sportsman  aimed  at  her,  supposing  she  was 
some  strange  specimen  of  bird.  Bang !  went  the  weapon,  and 
she  fell.  The  sportsman  hastened  to  the  spot,  but  found  noth- 
ing. 

"  What  do  you  think  became  of  the  witch-child  ?  I  believe 
that  King  Rapp  opened  the  earth  as  she  sank  down,  and  that 
she  lives  with  him  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  this  day." 

The  Summer  Fairy  glowed  and  faded  in  the  radiance  of  the 
hearth. 

"  The  witch-child  was  the  last  Indian  seen  in  these  hills," 
rustled  the  other  Summer  Fairies.  "  We  must  always  remain 
as  the  summer  of  the  year,  ranking  first  in  the  season,  even  as 
the  red  man  came  first  among  human  beings  here." 

"  Mousey,  I  think  it  is  your  turn  to  speak,"  said  the  Angora 
cat,  wickedly,  and  stretched  out  a  paw  to  the  captive. 

The  little  mouse  hopped  in  fear  as  it  answered  : 

"  It  is  such  a  strain  on  my  mind  to  try  to  think  of  a  story 
that  I  shall  have  a  nervous  headache  for  the  rest  of  my  life." 

"  Tut !  tut !  Remember  how  sharp  my  teeth  are,  and  how 
very  unpleasant  it  is  to  have  ones  head  nipped  off,"  said  the 
cat. 

This  made  the   mouse   desperate  ;    never  before  had  it  been 


Nip  Intercedes  for  Mousey.  79 

required  to  do  anything  but  nibble  cheese  and  bacon  rind,  and 
now  the  cruel  cat  would  force  it  to  tell  a  talc,  or  be  eaten  alive. 

Nip  had  sat  quietly  in  Job's  hand  while  the  Summer  Fairy 
was  talking,  and  pretended  to  doze,  with  his  little  head  sway- 
ing on  one  side,  like  a  flower- bell.  Now  he  skipped  down, 
and  clasped  his  arms  around  the  mouses  neck,  whispering  in 
its  ear. 

"  Give  the  mouse  time  to  think,"  said  Nip. 

"  I  give  time,"  interposed  the  clock,  striking  violently. 

The  clock  liked  none  of  the  company  to  use  the  word  time 
besides  itself,  as  it  was  old  and  cranky  in  its  ways. 

"  What  change  will  half  an  hour  make  in  the  mouse's  wits  ?" 
growled  the  cat,  and  she  must  have  been  feeling  hungry. 

As  for  Job,  he  was  so  much  amused  by  his  companions 
that  he  could  do  nothing  but  look  and  listen. 

"  I  will  tell  a  story  myself,  if  Queen  Puff  will  stop  spinning, 
so  that  I  may  hear  myself  speak,"  said  Nip. 


So  The  Catskill  Fairies. 


k     NIP'S   STORY. 

"  About  the  good  year  1620  the  West  Wind  stood  on  her 
cloud  throne,  her  fair  brow  wreathed  with  ivy  tendrils,  her  clear 
gaze  brilliant  with  untold  promises,  her  stately  form  erect  and 
instinct  with  a  splendid  vitality.  She  was  gazing  out  over  the 
sea. 

"  The  waves  dashed  in  clouds  of  spray  against  granite  head- 
lands, and  a  dark  line  of  forest  extended  inland  as  far  as  eye 
could  see,  unbroken  by  town  or  any  trace  of  human  life.  What 
was  the  West  Wind  looking  at  ?  A  tiny  vessel  tossed  like  a 
cockle-shell  on  the  billows,  and  steering  timidly  across  the  wide 
waste  of  waters.  This  was  the  cradle  of  the  queerest  baby 
ever  seen. 

"  Of  course,  the  West  Wind  knew  all  about  it — this  found- 
ling was  to  be  cast  on  her  care  and  protection.  He  had  no 
space  to  grow  in  the  crowded  nursery  where  he  was  born  on 
the  opposite  shore  of  the  ocean.  The  baby's  godfather  was  a 
great  king,  but  he  said,  '  Let  him  go,  for  he  is  not  like  the 
other  children,  and  will  make  trouble  when  he  is  a  big  boy.' 

"  Do  you  remember  the  story  about  the  large,  ugly  duck- 
ling among  the  little  ducks  and  geese  of  the  barnyard  that 
would  one  day  become  the  beautiful  swan  ?  Have  you  ever 
heard,  Job,  that  the  cuckoo's  egg,  if  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
nest  of  the  hedge-sparrow,  crowds  out  the  other  nestlings  ?" 


The   Wonderful  Baby.  Si 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,"  said  Job.     "  Grandfather  says" — 

"  Never  mind  what  Grandfather  says,"  interrupted  saucy 
Nip,  reclining  011  his  velvet  couch — the  mouse's  back.  "  I  only 
intended  to  make  a  comparison  between  the  large  duckling 
and  the  cuckoo  and  my  hero.  Well,  the  king  godfather  was 
quite  right,  for  this  baby  was  destined  to  become  a  giant,  and 
would  have  pushed  the  other  children  about  had  it  remained 
at  home  in  the  nursery. 

"  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  cradle-vessel  while  the  beauti- 
ful West  Wind  watched.  Now  there  was  peril  of  wreck  on 
the  sharp  rocks  of  that  stern  coast,  but  the  West  Wind  cast 
a  silk  cable  and  drew  it  safely  to  shore.  The  landing  was  not 
too  gentle  :  the  infant  was  drenched  in  spray,  and,  emerging 
gasping  from  the  cold  bath,  felt  a  new  life  tingle  in  every  vein. 
That  was  the  West  Wind's  baptism  of  her  charge.  Next  she 
smiled  and  showed  him  the  gifts  stored  in  her  mantle,  which 
were  to  be  earned,  not  given  away.  A  shower  of  spring  blos- 
soms fell  softly  on  the  scented  air,  like  a  mist  of  pink  snow  ; 
then  he  saw  sheaves  of  golden  grain,  then  a  cluster  of  purple 
grapes,  with  crimson  autumn  leaves.  The  infant  wanderer, 
treadino-  for  the  first  time  with  tender  baby  feet  the  soil 
of  a  rugged  coast,  and  extending  feeble  little  hands  towards 
these  treasures,  realized  vaguely  the  greatness  of  his  own 
destiny. 

"  How  the  baby  throve,  to  be  sure  !  The  cold  winds  swept 
in  from  the  Atlantic,  freezing  the  spray  into  icicles  to  festoon 
the  granite  cliffs  ;  Winter  seemed  to  frown  on  the  stranger,  vet 
he  grew. 

"  Greatest  danger  of  all !     Stealthy  forms  hovered  in  the  dim, 

F 


82 


The  Cat  ski  11  Fairies, 


Jg§» 


shadowy  forest,  and  glared  with  looks  of  hatred  at  him.  Their 
faces  were  dusky  in  hue — not  at  all  like  the  baby's  fair  race — 
and  they  wore  gay  feathers  nodding  above  their  long,  black 
hair,  while  their  step  was  as  light  and  swift  as  that  of  the  shy 
wild  animals  they  pursued  in  the  chase.  Yes,  and  these  dark 
people  were  not  content  with  frightening  the  baby  by  scowling 
at  him  ;  they  gave  shrill  whoops  and  cries,  and,  twanging  their 
bows,  shot  arrows  at  him  which  pricked  smartly.  The  West 
Wind  had  a  cure  for  these  wounds,  the  balm  of  courage  and 
hope. 

"  I   am   speaking  about  the    Indians.     Perhaps   the   Summer 


Who  was  the  Baby?  83 

Fairies    may   not   like    it,  but    I    must   tell    my   story,  and   they 

certainly  received   the  baby  very  rudely." 

"  How  did  the  baby  treat  them  ?"  cried  the  Summer  Fairies. 

"  We  will  ask  Job's  opinion.  What  if  some  men  came  up 
the  mountain  and  took  your  house,  saying,  '  We  want  to  live 
here  ;  you  can  go  away.'     What  would  you  do  ?" 

"  I  would  fight   cm,"  said  Job,  promptly. 

"  That  is  just  what  the  Indians  did,"  said  the  Fairies. 

"  But  who  was  this  baby  ?"  asked  Job. 

"  Don't  be  in  such  a  hurry.  The  world  was  not  made  in 
a  minute,"  rejoined  Nip.  "  In  spite  of  the  Indian  enemies, 
the  cold  and  storms,  this  sturdy  chap  flourished,  for  he  was 
made  of  the  best  flesh  and  blood.  The  forest  cleared  a 
spot  here  and  there,  yielding  to  the  strokes  of  his  axe, 
where  the  spring  blossoms  began  to  bloom  on  the  fruit- 
trees  and  shower  the  grass  below  instead  of  remaining  hid- 
den  in  the  folds  of  the  West  Wind's  mantle,  and  planted 
grain  to  ripen  under  the  summer  sun  for  the  harvest.  The 
strangest  part  of  it  was  that  the  baby  was  never  idle,  and  his 
play  was  always  work,  building  houses  out  of  bits  of  wood, 
and  making  bridges  and  roads. 
•     "  '  Let  those  play  who  come  after  me,'  he  said,  cheerfully. 

"  So  the  forests  thinned,  the  dark  enemies  retreated  as  the 
bright  daylight  followed  the  path  he  made,  chasing  away  the 
gloom  of  solitude. 

"  Forward  he  marched,-  always  following  the  West  Wind,  who 
beckoned  him  on  to  fresh  exertions,  and  growing  from  infancy 
to  childhood  as  he  went  on. 

"  '  Now  we  will  have  a  city,  I  guess,'  planned  the  baby.      He 


84  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

began  to  guess  in  his  very  babyhood,  and  well  he  might,  with 
a  whole  new  continent  before  him — all  guess-work. 

"  The  West  Wind  nodded  approval,  and  he  built  a  crooked 
little  town,  with  narrow,  winding  streets.  How  the  baby  archi- 
tect enjoyed  making  the  buildings  climb  steep  hills,  and  then 
spared  fine  trees  to  shade  wide  avenues,  bordered  with  green 
turf  in  the  heart  of  all  the  crowded  town.  '  We  must  have  a 
bit  of  country  here.'  So  the  city  was  laid  out,  and  the  West 
Wind  beckoned  him  on  to  build  towns  and  villages,  but  he 
cherished  his  first  city  with  a  pride  that  he  never  felt  in  any 
other,  and  trotted  back,  every  now  and  then,  to  beautify  and 
improve  it,  which  he  has  continued  to  do  until  the  present  day. 
The  baby  grew  strong  and  large — one  could  see  that  he  would 
be  a  towering  giant  by  and  by — and  his  work  only  grew  with 
him.  As  he  strode  on  he  left  Industry  spinning  many-colored 
threads  in  his  wake,  hammering  at  forge  and  anvil,  turning 
great  wheels  to  stir  the  tranquil  rivers,  and  before  him  the 
forests  thinned,  admitting  the  sunshine,  and  the  dark  enemies 
melted  away,  like  night  shadows,  at  his  approach. 

"  No  obstacle  could  daunt  or  discourage  him ;  the  rough 
path  often  wounded  his  feet,  his  limbs  grew  very  weary,  yet 
where  the  West  Wind  led  he  followed.  When  he  came  to 
broad  streams  he  spanned  them  with  bridges  ;  he  linked  miles 
of  space  together  with  an  iron  band  of  railway,  and  then  he 
looped  magnetic  wires  over  hill  and  valley  along  which  thrilled 
messages  as  rapidly  as  the  lightning  flashes. 

« '  Progress  !'  whistled  the  locomotive  to  the  earth,  and  all 
Industry's  wheels  turned  quicker  at  the  sound  ;  but  the  locomo- 
tive could  not  overtake  the  West  Wind  or  her  charge. 


Nip  Plays  a  Cunning  Trick,  85 

"  Forward  !  ever  forward  !  The  giant  youth  saw  lakes,  and 
launched  boats  on  the  clear  waters,  and  then  he  came  to  the 
plains. 

"  Forward  !  ever  forward  !  The  Wind  daughter  led  the  way 
in  her  chariot  of  sunset  clouds,  so  that  he  might  hew  a  path 
through  the  wilderness,  and  earn  the  treasures  she  would  scat- 
ter broadcast.  Through  deserts  of  wormwood,  beyond  crags 
and  cliffs  mantled  in  snow,  the  giant  fought  his  resolute 
way,  sowing  seeds  of  future  growth,  finding  precious  metals, 
until  he  reached  the  shores  of  another  ocean  and  the  Golden 
Gate. 

"  In  the  full  radiance  of  the  present,  behold  him  !  He  is  a 
giant,  but  he  is  not  at  all  handsome  ;  his  features  are  sharp  ;  lie 
cares  nothing  about  his  dress,  or  the  color  of  his  necktie.  He 
talks  through  his  nose,  besides.  What  name  did  the  West 
Wind  give  him?  Not  a  pretty  one,  but  suited  to  him  — 
Yankee." 

"  You  are  a  Yankee,  yourself,"  said  Queen  Puff,  starting  her 
wheel  again. 

"  I  am  proud  of  being  one.  You  are  a  Dutchman,"  said 
Nip. 

Queen  Puff  laughed  at  being  called  a  Dutchman. 

"  It  is  true,  and  I  came  from  Holland  in  a  tile,"  she  con- 
fessed. 

"  I  am  tired.  Take  me  to  ride  around  the  room,  Mouse}," 
said  Nip. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  the  cat,  suspiciously. 

"  Only  a  little  ride,"  urged  Nip,  looking  very  roguish  all  the 


86  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

while.  "  If  you  Fairies  will  make  a  ring,  we  can  perform  circus 
tricks,  mouse  and  I,  equal  to  those  of  the  Hippodrome." 

The  others  were  quite  ready  for  the  sport,  and  soon  there 
was  a  fairy  ring  formed  on  the  floor,  with  Job  and  the  old 
clock  to  look  down  on  it.  Nip  was  to  have  his  own  way  in 
everything ;  they  must  leave  an  avenue  for  the  mouse  to  gal- 
lop into  the  circle  in  style.  "  I  am  clown,  ring-master,  and 
rider,  all  in  one.  I  should  like  somebody  to  hold  bits  of  news- 
paper for  hoops  for  me  to  jump  through,  and  I  will  borrow 
a  poppy  cloak  to  leap  over.  Do  I  need  spurs  to  make  you 
go? 

"  No,  no,"  hastily  squeaked  the  mouse. 

It  did  Job  good  to  see  Nip  perform.  The  mouse  went 
around  the  circle,  with  the  Fairy  dancing  on  his  back,  now 
popping  through  the  paper  hoops,  now  springing  over  the 
cloak.     At  last  they  paused  to  rest. 

"  Let  us  breathe  awhile,  and  I  will  show  you  a  trick  worth 
seeing,"  said  Nip. 

"  Oh,  what  is  it,  Nip  ?     Tell  us — do,"  cried  the  Fairies. 

Nip  stood  up  on  the  mouse's  back  once  more,  and  started 
around  the  circle,  faster  and  faster,  until  with  one  bound  they 
darted  out  of  the  ring,  and  the  mouse  was  safe  in  its  hole  be- 
fore the  Angora  cat  could  wink. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that  ?  I  told  you  it  was  the  best 
trick  of  all.  Oh,  you  needn't  make  big  eyes  at  me,  Madam 
Cat,  and  curl  your  whiskers,  I  am  not  afraid  of  you,  and  the 
dear  little  mouse  is  safe,"  said   Nip. 

"  If  the  mouse  will  join  us  again,  I  will  promise  not  to  eat 
it,"  purred  the  cat,  mildly. 


The   Winter  Fairies.  89 

"  Thank  you,  I  will  just  watch  what  happens  from  my  hole," 
replied  the  mouse,  gayly,  poking  out  its  head. 

"  If  it  is  our  turn  to  speak,  we  will  begin,"  said  the  Winter 
Fairies  from  their  perch  on  the  window-sill. 

"  Yes,  do  tell  me  something,"  said  Job,  who  wished  to  learn 
all  that  the  Fairies  could  impart.  "Only  I  should  like  to  know 
when  my  present  is  to  be  given." 

"  Patience,"  advised  the  Angora  cat. 

Then  the  first  Winter  Fairy,  leaning  against  the  frosted  pane 
began — 


90  The  Cat  ski  I  I  Fairies. 


THE   GREEN  BELT 

"  Far  away  in  the  backwoods,  where  the  lumber  comes  from, 
a  poor  widow  once  lived,  with  her  seven  sons,  the  eldest  being 
eighteen,  and  the  youngest,  Peter,  a  lad  of  ten  years.  Peter 
was  born  with  a  caul  drawn  over  his  head,  like  a  funny  little 
cap,  and  the  old  women  said  he  must  meet  with  great  good- 
fortune  in  life  on  this  account. 

"  The  father  was  a  hunter,  who  trapped  the  beavers  and 
otters,  but  he  had  been  killed  by  a  fall  clown  a  precipice. 
The  winter  was  very  severe,  and  daily  the  snow-drifts  were 
piled  higher  and  higher,  hedging  in  the  poor  cottage  from  the 
nearest  neighbor,  who  lived  two  miles  distant. 

"  One  night  when  a  violent  hailstorm  was  dashing  torrents  of 
icy  musketry  upon  the  roof  and  against  the  windows,  the  fami- 
ly gathered  around  the  fire — there  would  always  be  fuel  with 
the  forest  so  near  at  hand. 

"  '  It  is  a  great  deal  to  be  warm,  children,'  said  the  mother, 
spreading  her  fingers  to  enjoy  the  blaze.  '  I  must  tell  you 
plainly  that  the  meal  -  chest  is  nearly  empty,  and  there  is  but 
one  sack  of  potatoes  left.' 

"  The  children  pulled  on  very  long  faces  ;  they  began  to  feel 
pinched  under  their  jackets  with  hunger.  Just  then  a  distinct 
tap,  tap,  was  heard  on  the  door. 


A   Wonderful  Gift  91 

"  '  Can  any  poor  soul  be  out  such  a  night  ?'  exclaimed  the 
mother. 

"  She  unbarred  the  door,  and  a  gust  of  hail  rushed  into  the 
room,  but  on  the  threshold  stood  a  little  old  woman  shivering 
with  cold.  The  widow  led  her  to  the  fire,  and  at  once  began 
to  prepare  some  hot  porridge. 

"  In  the  meanwhile  the  children  stared  at  the  stranger  with 
eager  curiosity.  She  wore  a  cloak  made  of  squirrel  fur,  tied 
about  her  throat  by  the  fore-paws  ;  her  face  was  like  a  puck- 
ered lemon,  and  her  eyes  two  diamonds,  so  rapidly  did  they 
flash  and  glitter  about  the  place. 

"  Peter  advanced  to  her  side  fearlessly. 

"  '  Your  slippers  are  dry,'  he  said. 

"  '  That  is  because  my  shoemaker  fits  me  with  pure  ice,  my 
dear,'  replied  the  old  lady ;  then  she  patted  him  on  the  head. 
'  You  are  clever  because  you  are  a  seventh  child,'  she  added  ; 
but  Peter  did  not  understand  one  word  of  such  talk. 

"  The  good  mother  offered  the  stranger  her  own  bed,  the 
best  she  had,  and  the  old  woman  declared  that  her  fur  cloak 
was  a  famous  couch  as  she  spread  it  down  in  one  corner,  and 
soon  the  whole  family  were  asleep.  In  the  morning  the  old 
lad)'-  had  vanished  away,  and  little  Peter  lay  snugly  wrapped 
in  the  soft  fur,  with  a  green  belt  beside  him.  Of  course,  this 
green  belt  must  be  a  wonderful  gift,  and  the  old  ladv  a  fairy  ; 
the  family  at  once  decided  that  to  be  a  fact,  yet  the  belt  was 
so  dingy  and  faded  as  to  seem  useless  and  only  fit  to  hang  on 
a  peg  behind  the  door,  where  it  was  speedily  forgotten.  The 
fur  cloak  did  not  vanish  away,  as  they  feared  it  would,  and  it 
was  afterwards  used  by  Peter  for  a  bed. 


92  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

"  The  snow  rose  higher  and  higher,  and  the  sun  could  not 
warm  the  keen  air.  At  last  there  were  no  more  potatoes  left 
in  the  cottage,  and  the  poor  widow  wras  forced  to  seek  some 
help  from  her  neighbors,  even  if  the  way  was  blocked  with 
deep  drifts. 

"  Night  came  on,  and  the  mother  did  not  return.  She  had 
lost  her  way,  and  frozen  to  death  in  the  bitter  cold  before  she 
reached  the  first  house.  The  children  watched  and  waited, 
then  went  to  bed  supperless.  It  was  very  sad  that  the  mother 
must  perish  thus  ;  but  such  things  happen  in  the  winter  every 
year,  especially  in  the  backwoods  of  which  we  write. 

"  Next  morning  a  pretty  squirrel  rapped  on  the  window-pane 
with  one  paw,  and  when  the  casement  was  open  hopped  into 
the  room  quite  tamely. 

"  '  I  believe  that  I  will  skin  and  eat  you,'  said  the  eldest 
son,  trying  to  catch  the  animal. 

"  '  Not  so  fast,'  chattered  the  squirrel,  leaping  nimbly  up  to  a 
high  beam.  '  I  can  do  you  more  good  alive  I  am  thinking. 
Why  don't  you  go  out  into  the  world  for  yourselves  ?' 

"  '  I  will !'  cried  the  eldest  brother,  and  sprang  through  the 
door. 

"  A  bridge  of  ice  reached  from  the  cottage  quite  to  the  heart 
of  the  forest,  and  when  he  stepped  on  it  he  found  it  firm  as 
marble.  He  soon  returned,  carrying  a  beautiful  little  bird  in 
his  hand,  which  he  had  found  in  the  path.  The  bird  had  a 
crest  of  scarlet  feathers  on  its  head,  while  the  wings  were  vel- 
vet black. 

" '  If  you  make  a  nest  for  the  bird,  it  will  lay  a  pearl  egg 
every  day,'  said  the  squirrel. 


The  Silver  Gridiron.  93 

"'Let  me  see  what  I  can  do,'  said  the  second  hoy,  encour- 
aged by  his  brother's  success;  so,  crossing  the  ice-bridge,  he 
disappeared. 

"  When  he  came  back  he  carried  a  copper  porridge  -  pot, 
which  was  so  brightly  polished  that  it  resembled  gold.  The 
hungry  children  found  a  handful  of  meal,  and  made  porridge 
in  the  new  vessel.  When  they  poured  out  the  porridge,  the 
pot  was  again  full. 

" '  It  will  always  be  filled  whenever  emptied,'  said  the  squir- 
rel, also  tasting  the  dish  daintily. 

"  '  Hurrah  !  We  shall  never  be  hungry  after  this,1  said  the 
second  son,  hugging  the  pot  in  his  arms. 

"  Then  the  third  son  crossed  the  ice-bridge,  and  in  less  than 
five  minutes  appeared  with  a  silver  gridiron. 

"  '  Who  would  like  a  cake  baked  on  my  gridiron  ?'  he  asked. 

"  No  sooner  was  one  cake  taken,  crisp  and  brown,  from  the 
fire  than  another  lay  in  its  place,  and  the  gridiron  did  not  cease 
from  cooking  until  the  children  were  well  filled.  It  must  have 
taken  a  great  many  cakes  to  make  a  boy  say  he  had  eaten 
enough  ! 

"  Then  the  fourth  boy  said,  '  I  will  try  my  luck  ;'  and  crossed 
the  bridge  as  the  others  had  clone. 

"  He  found  a  tiny  cask  made  of  rough  iron,  but  it  was  al- 
ways filled  with  rare,  sweet  wine,  and  the  supply  could  never  fail. 

"  The  fifth  son  in  his  turn  found  nothing  but  a  delicate  white 
cloth  hanging  upon  a  tree.  He  entered  the  cottage  with  a  dole- 
ful face  and  slow  step.  His  portion  was  only  a  cloth,  when  his 
brothers  had  found  a  bird  that  would  lay  pearl  eggs,  a  porridge- 
pot  always  full,  a  silver  gridiron,  and  a  cask  of  wine. 


94 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


"  '  Spread  the  cloth  on  the  table,'  said  the  squirrel. 

"  Fancy  their  astonishment  when  a  grand  feast  appeared  on 
the  magic  cloth.  Ducks  and  turkeys  dressed  with  flowers,  de- 
licious confectionery  in  sparkling  heaps,  and  tempting  fruits. 
The  fifth  boy's  gift  was  not  so  poor  a  one  after  all. 

"  Then  the  sixth  son  walked  out,  and  directly  before  him  lay 
a  beautiful  gold  trumpet.  He  blew  a  loud  blast,  and  immedi- 
ately all  animals  responded  to  the  summons — bears,  monkeys, 
jaguars,  moose,  and  deer,  even  wild  cats. 


"  '  Eat  us  up,  if  you  like,  or  do  anything  with  us  ;  we  are 
your  slaves,'  growled  the  animals  together. 

"  Yes,  he  had  control  over  all  beasts  for  any  service  he  might 
require. 

"  '  The  little  old  woman  must  have  been  a  fairy  after  all !' 
shouted  the  brothers,  beside  themselves  with  delight. 

"  The  pretty  squirrel  sitting  up  on  the  beam  with  its  tail 
curled  over  its  back  was  the  fairy  all  the  while. 

"  '  What  am  I  to  own  ?'  asked  Peter,  in  dismay. 

"  The    seventh    son    went    out    across    the    ice  -  bridge    and 


The  Green  Belt.  95 

searched  every  path,  gazing  eagerly  up  into  the  trees  ;  but  he 
found  just  nothing  at  all.  The  brothers,  in  their  own  joy, 
scarcely  noticed  poor  Peter's  disappointment. 

"  '  I  must  seek  my  fortune  out  in  the  wide  world,'  said  the 
eldest,  taking  the  scarlet  bird  in  his  hand  ;  then  with  a  careless 
good-bye  he  was  gone. 

"  The  others  quickly  followed,  until  Peter  was  left  alone. 

"  The  little  squirrel  leaped  clown,  and  nestled  close  beside 
the  weeping  child. 

"  '  Dry  your  tears  ;  you  are  the  seventh  child,  and  therefore 
the  most  fortunate  of  all.  Here  is  the  caul  with  which  you 
were  born,  to  hang  about  your  neck,  and  that  will  bring  good 
luck.     The  green  belt  is  your  gift.' 

"  The  squirrel  had  the  same  clear  diamond  eyes  that  the 
old  woman  possessed  who  visited  their  cottage  on  the  stormy 
evening. 

"  Peter  took  the  belt  from  the  peg  where  it  had  hung,  and. 
behold  !  it  was  bright  in  color,  and  bore  these  lines — 

'  You  shall  have  power  to  change  your  shape, 
To  Lion,  Tiger,  Dog,  or  Ape  ; 
To  help  the  good,  torment  the  bad, 
To  make  some  gay,  and  others  sad.' 

"  Peter  danced  for  joy,  and  the  squirrel  skipped  also  on  its 
hind  feet  to  keep  him  company. 

"  '  Put  the  caul  on  your  head,  and  you  will  see  just  what 
your  brothers  are  doing,  wherever  they  go,'  said  the  squirrel. 

"  Peter  held  the  dried  skin -cap  over  his  head,  and  shut  his 
eyes.     The  first  son  travelled  far,  still  holding  the  scarlet  bird 


96  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

in  his  hand.  He  entered  a  city  in  the  East,  where  there  were 
mosques  with  glittering  domes,  palaces,  and  bazaars.  In  the 
harbor  queerly  shaped  boats  darted  about,  and  the  stately  ships 
had  the  flags  of  all  nations  floating  from  their  masts. 

"  The  first  son  crossed  the  court  of  a  magnificent  building:, 
led  by  black  slaves  m  gorgeous  turbans  and  robes,  and  entered 
a  marble -paved  hall  adorned  with  pillars  and  sparkling  fount- 
ains, where  a  prince  sat  on  his  throne,  and  he  bowed  low  be- 
fore him.  The  prince  admired  the  little  scarlet  bird,  as  a 
prince  has  a  right  to  admire  a  new  toy,  and  he  gave  to  the 
owner  ten  chests  of  gold  coins,  a  house  to  live  in,  and  three 
trained  Arabian  horses  from  the  royal  stables  in  exchange 
for  it. 

"  '  My  eldest  brother  will  pass  his  days  in  idleness  and  ease,' 
said  Peter.  '  He  will  doze  on  velvet  cushions,  be  refreshed 
with  delicate  perfumes,  and  smoke  a  pipe  mounted  with  gems 
and  amber.  His  raiment  will  be  the  finest  linen,  the  softest 
satin  and  damask.  He  will  forget  entirely  that  he  was  ever  a 
poor  boy  living  in  the  woods.' 

"  '  So  much  for  him.  Now  for  the  next  one.'  The  squirrel 
fairy  was  very  polite  in  listening  to  the  history,  although  it 
knew  already  everything  that  would  happen,.  Peter  must 
learn  to  like  his  gift  the  best,  and  so  he  was  to  see  his  broth* 
ers  first. 

"  The  second  son  was  walkimr  along  the  road  where  the 
hedges  were  in  bloom  and  the  fields  ready  for  the  harvest. 
He  was  ruddy  and  strong-limbed,  as  well  he  might  be,  for  the 
porridge -pot  never  failed.  At  the  farm-house  door  stood  a 
pretty    maid,   as    the    crimson    sunset    turned    every    object   to 


The  Fairy  Gifts.  97 

red  and  gold.     She   was  calling  the   harvest  -  laborers   to  their 

supper  by  blowing  through  the  horn  ;  and  the  second  son, 
coming  among  the  rest,  loved  her  for  her  sweet  smile  and 
light  footstep  as  she  waited  on  the  table. 

"  '  It  will  be  love  in  a  cottage,'  said  Peter.  '  They  need  never 
suffer  from  hunger  while  they  keep  the  porridge-pot.' 

"  '  Who  comes  next  ?'  inquired  the  squirrel. 

"  The  third  and  fourth  brothers  were  together  in  the  city  of 
Paris,  one  with  his  silver  gridiron  and  the  other  with  his  table- 
cloth, which  was  always  covered  with  dainties.  That  was  a 
famous  partnership  !  They  had  a  cook-shop,  called  a  cafe,  with 
tables  and  waiters.  Even  great  noblemen  came  to  taste  of  the 
cakes  baked  on  the  gridiron  ;  and  where  the  nobility  lead,  com- 
mon people  must  follow  the  fashion,  like  one  sheep  after  an- 
other. 

"  The  fifth  son,  no  less  fortunate  than  his  brothers,  drew 
sweet  wine  from  the  tiny  cask,  and  built  a  warehouse  in  which 
to  store  his  barrels.  The  fame  of  his  wine  went  everywhere, 
the  flavor  was  so  delicate,  because  it  was  made  from  fairy 
grapes,  and  no  one  could  tell  the  vintage. 

"  The  sixth  son  went  to  the  South  American  pampas,  where 
he  grathered  immense  flocks,  for  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  blow 
through  the  trumpet,  and  cattle  followed  the  sound. 

"  '  I  would  not  choose  the  place  of  any  of  them,'  said  Peter, 
and  the  squirrel  fairy  was  pleased  with  this  decision.  They 
left  the  cottage  to  visit  the  Fairies,  and  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest  the  snow  had  melted  away  like  magic,  as  if  for  the  tiny 
people  to  hold  their  sports.  The  squirrel  here  became  a  fairy 
lady  no  longer  than  one  of  Peter's  fingers,  and  her  companions, 

G 


98 


The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


dressed  in  green,  so  that  they  resembled  moving  leaves,  wel- 
comed her  back  cordially. 

"  '  I  was  the  old  woman  and  the  squirrel  too,'  she  laughed. 
'  I  take  those  forms  for  travelling  about.' 

"  '  Your  eyes  are  still  diamond  clear,'  said  Peter,  and  then 
he  thanked  her  for  all  the  kindness  she  had  shown  to  his 
family. 

"  '  We  trained  the  bird  and  made  all  the  other  gifts,'  cried 
the  Fairies.     '  Then  we  placed  them  in  the  path.' 

"  Peter  seated  himself  on-  the  grass  to  watch  the  Fairies 
dance ;  they  spun  around  in  giddy  circles  without  losing  their 


breath,  until  it  made  the  boy's  eyes  ache  to  look  at  them.  The 
fairy  music  was  wonderful,  the  wee  musicians  being  ranged 
around  a  toadstool  upon  which  stood  the  leader,  and  they  blew 
through  dandelion  stems  for  instruments. 


The  Household  Sprite.  99 

"  When  they  ceased  dancing  they  all  clustered  about   Peter, 

and  the  squirrel  fairy  sat  on  his  shoulder.  One  little  sprite 
had  a  tiny  broom  made  of  thistle,  and  a  dust-brush  under  one 
arm,  with  which  she  dusted  and  swept  the  flowers  surrounding 
the  fairy  circle,  until  not  a  speck  of  dust  remained.  This 
sprite  had  a  sharp  nose  and  a  prim  little  waist.  One  could 
plainly  see  that  she  was  set  in  her  ways. 

"  '  I  am  a  household  spirit,  and  my  name  is  Pucker.  I  steal 
through  the  keyhole  of  the  silent  houses  at  night,  and  if  I  find 
the  rooms  untidy,  I  nip  the  housemaid  in  her  sleep  until  she- 
is  black  and  blue.  I  am  very  severe  on  housekeepers.  If  I 
discover  the  dishes  improperly  washed,  or  egg-shells  and  bones 
lying  about  in  the  humblest  cottage,  I  tweak  the  good  wife's 
nose,  and  box  her  ears  soundly.  Every  one  can  be  clean,  and 
they  must  be  happier  for  neat  homes.  I  stand  no  nonsense ' 
— and  the  brisk  little  Pucker  began  to  dust  the  flowers  again 
with  renewed  energy,  until  the  roses  and  pinks  blushed  a 
deeper  red  from  sheer  anger. 

"  '  Will  you  let  our  beautiful  faces  alone  ?'  they  exclaimed. 

"  '  My  name  is  Gull,'  said  a  merry,  romping  fairy,  dancing  on 
a  spider-web  bridge.  '  I  love  to  play  tricks  better  than  to  work. 
I  steal  cream  and  sugar  from  the  closet,  and  whisk  away  the 
glass  of  water  just  as  a  body  is  about  to  drink — that  is  capi- 
tal fun!' 

"  '  I  am  Grim,'  said  a  short,  stout  elf  with  a  droll  face.  '  1 
pull  the  master's  beard,  and  throw  him  into  ditches  by  the 
roadside  when  he  comes  home  from  the  public  -  house  at 
night.  He  may  lie  there  until  morning,  yet  I  give  him  no 
rest ;   he   is   pricked   with   nettles,  pounded   with    sharp    stones. 


ioo  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

and  his  boots  filled  with  cold  water — that  is  the  way  to  cure 
drunkards.' 

"  Peter  rose  at  last. 

" '  I  could  stay  with  you  forever,  dear  Fairies,  but  I  must  start 
on  my  travels.' 

"  Leaving  the  forest,  he  saw  three  graceful  horses  in  a  mead- 
ow, now  prancing  forward  with  manes  and  tails  streaming  on 
the  wind,  now  bounding  high  in  the  air  to  vault  over  the 
boundary  wall. 

"  '  I  should  like  to  be  a  horse,'  thought  Peter.  Immediately 
he  began  to  prance  too — his  coat  of  the  softest  black  color,  his 
limbs  delicately  rounded,  and  his  hair  like  spun  silk.  A  golden 
bridle  hung  over  his  arched  neck,  and  his  hoofs  were  also  shod 
with  shining  gold.  The  young  farmer  who  owned  the  meadow 
saw  the  horse  nibbling  grass,  and  apparently  as  tame  as  a  kit- 
ten. Although  so  rich  and  owning  already  many  steeds,  he 
wras  always  envious  of  other  people  and  their  possessions. 

"  '  Who  has  a  horse  so  much  more  beautiful  than  any  of 
mine  ?'   he  inquired,  frowning  angrily. 

"  He  advanced  towards  Peter,  and,  as  no  one  seemed  to  claim 
the  animal,  he  determined  to  have  it  at  all  hazards.  He  just 
touched  the  golden  bridle,  when  Peter  shook  his  head  saucily, 
and  danced  away.  The  farmer  ran  faster  after  the  stranger 
horse,  bewitched  by  its  beauty,  and  Peter  played  all  kinds  of 
pranks.  At  last  he  stood  still,  and  the  farmer,  overjoyed  at 
such  unexpected  docility,  mounted,  when  away  dashed  Peter  as 
swift  as  an  arrow  shot  from  a  bow,  the  rider  clinging  to  his 
back.  Peter  enjoyed  the  race  ;  but  when  he  reached  the  bank 
of  a  river  he  determined  to  punish  the  envious  farmer  still  fur- 


A   Frio  id  in  Need.  101 

thcr,  so  he  plunged   into  the  stream,  wished  himself  a  fish,  and 
slid   away    from    under    the    rider,  leaving    him    floundering    in 

deep  water. 

"'Perhaps  that  will  teaeh  him  a  lesson,'  said  Peter,  watching 
the  farmer  climb  the  bank  again. 

"  Then  he  swam  to  the  opposite  shore,  and  became  a  boy, 
with  his  green  belt  around  his  waist. 

"  Presently  he  came  to  a  house,  where  all  was  silent  except 
the  cackling  of  the  fowls  in  the  barn-yard.  The  door  stood 
wide  open,  and  on  the  step  lay  the  dog  winking  lazily  in  the  sun. 
Peter  boldly  entered,  and  in  the  corner  he  found  a  young  girl 
sitting  alone,  with  a  pile  of  flax  on  the  floor  and  her  spinning- 
wheel  before  her. 

" '  Why  do  you  stay  in  the  dark  corner  ?'  asked  Peter. 

" '  Because  every  one  has  gone  to  the  county  fair,  and  left  me 
alone,'  sobbed  the  girl.  '  My  mistress  said  I  could  not  leave 
until  my  work  was  done,  and  she  very  well  knew  that  I  could 
not  finish  it  before  nightfall.  Oh  !  I  want  to  see  the  fat  cattle 
and  the  big  vegetables,  the  bedquilts  and  prize  bread,  so  much  !' 

"  Peter  just  stepped  forward  and  kissed  her  on  both  eyelids, 
and  she  fell  asleep. 

" '  I  want  the  Fairies,'  whispered  the  boy. 

"  Through  the  window  they  fluttered  like  a  cloud  of  brilliant 
butterflies.  No  need  to  tell  them  what  to  do ;  for  Pucker  set  to 
work  on  the  wheel,  which  whizzed  around  without  making  the 
least  noise,  and  the  threads  were  wound  off  by  no  less  nimble 
fingers.  Fairy  Grim,  having  no  drunken  men  to  trip  up,  began 
to  sort  the  flax,  and  Fairy  Gull  dressed  the  sleeping  girl  by 
changing  her  cotton  gown  to  cashmere,  and  twining  bright  rib- 


102  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

bons  in  her  hair.  How  surprised  she  was  when  she  opened  her 
eyes  five  minutes  later  to  find  the  work  neatly  finished,  herself 
gayly  dressed,  and  a  donkey  standing  before  the  door,  with  a 
saddle  of  red  leather  trimmed  with  bells  on  his  back,  ready  to 
carry  her  to  the  fair ! 

"This  donkey  wds  our  friend  Peter;  and  when  the  poor  girl 
had  mounted  his  back,  away  he  trotted  as  fast  as  his  four  little 
legs  would  carry  him.  He  did  not  allow  himself  to  show  any 
ugly  donkey  tricks,  such  as  lying  down  to  roll  in  the  dust,  or 
shying  at  a  stream  of  water.  When  they  reached  the  borders 
of  the  town,  he  left  the  girl  to  go  on  alone,  and  became  a  boy, 
as  he  did  not  like  the  donkey  character  much. 

"After  that  Peter  became  a  madcap,  if  ever  there  was  one.  He 
blew  out  the  farmers'  pipes,  overturned  the  hay-mounds,  tied  the 
dairymaids  to  the  cows'  tails,  and  set  all  the  dogs  crazy.  Then 
he  went  to  a  city,  where  he  was  one  day  a  chimney-sweep,  scram- 
bling through  the  flues  and  sprinkling  soot  down  to  make  peo- 
ple sneeze,  and  an  organ-grinder  the  next.  He  pretended  to  be 
a  beggar  with  one  leg ;  he  pulled  door-bells  and  ran  away ;  he 
laid  traps  for  thieves,  so  that  the  police  seized  them.  All  this 
Peter  called  seeing  life;  yet  he  soon  grew  weary  of  it.  He  went 
back  to  the  forest  to  see  the  squirrel  fairy ;  and  when  he  entered 
the  familiar  path  she  ran  to  meet  him  gladly.  Although  Peter 
had  been  gone  many  years,  the  squirrel  was  as  young  as  ever, 
with  the  sparkling  diamond  eyes. 

" '  It  is  time  you  did  something  better  than  cut  capers.  I  will 
tell  you  what  to  do  —  you  should  win  glory  as  a  soldier,  and 
there  will  soon  be  a  war  across  the  seas.' 

"  So  Peter  went  across  seas ;  and  he  had  no  sooner  set  foot  in 


An  Army  of  Carrot  Soldiers.  105 

a  foreign  land  than  he  heard  that  the  Emperor  of  the  country 
had  declared  war  on  a  neighboring  Prince.  Peter  bought  a 
field  of  carrots,  and  when  they  were  ripe  he  changed  them  into 
an  army  of  splendid  soldiers,  and  placed  himself  at  the  head  in 
a  gold  uniform  to  match  the  yellow  colors  of  the  regiments. 

" '  We  serve  under  the  Emperor,'  he  said,  drawing  up  his 
men  before  the   Imperial   Palace. 

"  '  Will  you  charge  the  enemy  now  ?'  asked  the  Emperor. 

" '  The  sooner  the  better/  returned  the  brave  Peter.  '  The 
troops  will  not  "wither  then  ;  and  if  they  do  fall,  they  arc  only 
vegetable  men  after  all,'  he  added  to  himself. 

"  Peter  and  his  carrot  soldiers  attacked  the  enemy  with  tre- 
mendous vigor,  so  that  they  were  driven  at  the  point  of  the  bay- 
onet into  the  river,  their  only  choice  being  to  jump  into  the  wa- 
ter or  become  spiked  on  the  weapons  like  cockchafers. 

"  After  the  engagement  the  carrot  troops  retired  into  the  for- 
est, where  they  died,  and  the  Fairies  buried  them  in  considera- 
tion of  their  valiant  deeds. 

"  Peter  was  created  commander-in-chief  of  the  Imperial  forces, 
as  he  was  flesh  and  blood  instead  of  carrot.  Of  course  he  could 
not  be  made  commander-in-chief  without  stepping  into  some 
other  man's  shoes.  General  Rub-a-dub  did  not  like  the  change 
at  all.  He  declared  that  if  the  Emperor  would  only  have  given 
him  time  he  could  have  dus:  trenches  about  the  enemy,  attacked 
them  by  flank  movements  and  other  military  tactics,  until  they 
were  safely  bagged,  every  soldier  of  them,  instead  of  giving 
Peter  all  the  glory. 

"'Where  are  your  troops?'  asked  General  Rub-a-dub,  before 
the  Emperor  himself. 


io6  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

" '  They  disbanded  in  the  woods,'  said  Peter. 

" '  I  saw  nothing  but  a  pile  of  carrots,'  retorted  General  Rub- 
a-dub.  '  I  believe  your  soldiers  were  nothing  but  carrot  men 
after  all.' 

" '  Nonsense !'  cried  the  Emperor,  growing  purple  in  the  face 
with  wrath  at  the  idea  of  his  empire  being  defended  by  an 
army  of  carrots.  '  If  I  believed  half  that  you  say,  Rub-a-dub,  I 
would  command  that  every  carrot  in  my  dominions  should  be 
pulled  up  by  the  roots,  and  no  more  be  planted  for  one  while.' 

" '  I  will  execute  the  wise  order,  if  it  please  your  majesty,'  Gen- 
eral Rub-a-dub  hastened  to  reply.  '  Without  his  carrots,  you 
will  find  that  your  new  commander-in-chief  is  not  much  of  an 
officer.' 

"  Peter  was  at  his  wits'  end ;  but  a  wasp  flew  past,  and  buzzed 
in  his  ear : 

"  '  We  will  use  beets.' 

"  The  neighboring  Prince  gathered  new  forces,  and  marched 
into  the  Emperor's  territory,  blowing  trumpets  under  his  maj- 
esty's nose.  General  Rub-a-dub  drilled  his  men,  and  watched 
Peter  quite  fiercely,  twirling  his  mustache.  At  the  very  last  mo- 
ment, when  the  enemy  was  preparing  to  besiege  the  Imperial 
city,  Peter  stole  softly  out  to  the  Fairies,  and  they  employed 
countless  numbers  of  owls  and  bats  to  pull  up  all  the  beets  in 
the  kingdom,  and  bring  the  vegetables  to  the  edge  of  the  wood. 

"  When  the  next  morning's  sun  rose,  Peter  turned  all  the  beets 
into  soldiers,  and  marched  to  join  the  Emperor's  army.  The 
beet  soldiers  were  infinitely  more  splendid  in  appearance  than 
the  carrots  had  been ;  they  were  glowing  crimson  not  only  in 
uniform,  but  their  faces  were  of  the   same  hue,  and  their  caps 


.  The  Beet  Soldiers.  107 

were  green,  with  nodding  plumes.  Peter  wore  a  costume  of 
crimson  velvet  to  match  his  troops,  studded  with  rubies,  and 
his  sword-hilt  was  incrusted  with   the  same  jewels. 

"  Peter  told  the  Emperor  that  he  believed  in  sudden  action 
and  quick  movements,  like  Napoleon.  He  knew  well  that  the 
vegetable  men  could  not  press  the  siege,  as  they  would  wither 
by  sundown,  if  exposed  to  intense  heat. 

"'General  Rub-a-dub  is  an  old  fogy  in  his  ideas,'  whispered 
Peter  in  the  Emperors  ear,  and  the  Emperor  nodded  his 
head. 

"  If  the  carrot  soldiers  had  fought  well,  the  beet  men  did  ten 
times  better ;  and  when  they  were  slashed  down,  they  shed  real 
blood-beet  juice.  The  enemy  was  again  driven  back  with  ter- 
rible slaughter,  and  the  beet  men  dra^'o-ed  themselves  to  the 
wood,  where  the  Fairies  buried  them.  Rub-a-dub  was  not  sat- 
isfied. Peace  was,  indeed,  restored  to  the  country;  still  it  was 
all  done  through  the  tricks  of  the  new  commander-in-chief,  he 
declared. 

" '  There  is  not  a  ripe  beet  left  in  the  kingdom,1  complained 
this  general.     '  Your  last  army  was  beet  men.' 

" '  How  f  cried  the  Emperor.  '  Shall  I  be  deprived  of  my 
favorite  salad  because  the  beets  are  gone  ?' 

"  Peter  was  again  bewildered.  The  wasp  buzzed  in  his 
ear — 

" '  We  must  use  radishes  next  time.' 

"  So  when  the  warlike  Prince,  having  been  twice  defeated,  in- 
duced two  other  Princes  to  join  him  in  fighting  against  the 
Emperor,  Peter  brought  an  overwhelming  force  of  radishes, 
some    in    scarlet   jackets    and   others    in   bright   yellow,  to    the 


io8 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


rescue.  The  radish  troops  were  more  spirited  than  the  carrots 
or  beets  had  been,  perhaps  because  radishes  are  so  peppery.  Pe- 
ter charged  at  their  head,  this  time  using  a  silver  sword,  with  an 
edge  like  a  razor,  and  a  shield  against  which  blows  fell  harm- 
less. The  three  Princes  fled  before  the  valiant  radishes ;  but 
the  latter  withered  in  the  hot  sun,  after  the  victory,  before  they 
could  seek  the  forest  shade,  and  lay  in  rows  along  the  highway 
— nothing  but  wilted  radishes. 

" '  They  were  radishes,'  said  General  Rub-a-dub,  scornfully. 
The  Emperor  patted  the  commander's  shoulder  graciously. 

" '  If  vegetable  soldiers  can  defend  my  dominions  so  bravely 
without  loss  of  human  life,  I  shall  always  employ  them.  I  im- 
plore you  not  to  use  beets  in  the  future,  and  deprive  me  of  my 
favorite  salad.     I  make  you  chief  for  life.' 

" '  If  it  please  your  majesty,  I  must  now  return  home,'  said 
Peter,  bowing  low  before  the  throne.  '  Your  army  can  be  made 
of  real  men  by  General  Rub-a-dub.' 

"  Then  Peter  crossed  the  seas  once  more,  and  lived  in  the 
very  cottage  where  he  was  born.     He  hung  the  green  belt  on 

the  peg  behind  the  door ;  and  if 
you  had  happened  to  pass  the 
place,  you  would  have  seen  a 
quiet  old  man,  with  a  squirrel 
perched  on  his  shoulder.  The 
squirrel  had  diamond  clear  eyes/' 

The  Winter  Fairies  clustered 
against  the  frosted  pane  like 
snow-flakes. 


yob's  Picture -Gallery.  109 

"All  the  same,  I  should  like  my  present,"  said  Job.  "When 
will  the  Fairy  of  the  Cascade  come  ?" 

"  You  must  not  be  so  impatient,"  rejoined  the  Angora  cat. 
She  had  shown  her  good-breeding  by  turning  her  back  on  the 
mouse's  hole,  and  behaving  as  if  she  had  forgotten  all  about 
it,  although  the  mouse's  nose  did  look  tempting. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  the  gift  is  ?"  asked  Queen  Puff. 

"  I  can't  guess,"  said  Job,  staring  at  the  fire  with  bright  eyes, 
and  nursing  his  knee.     "  Is  it  a  top?" 

"  No." 

"A  ship?" 

"  No." 

"  Oh,  oh  !— A  kite  ?" 

"  No." 

Something  very  odd  happened.  After  his  circus  pranks  with 
the  mouse  Nip  had  been  flying  around  the  room.  At  last  he 
came  to  Job's  picture-gallery.  Now  I  suppose  you  imagine  that 
Job  was  too  poor  to  have  a  picture-gallery;  but  he  owned  a 
very  good  one.  The  previous  summer  he  had  stood  by  the 
roadside  when  a  Mountain  House  coach  came  down  the  hill, 
crowded  with  people,  and  a  golden-haired  little  girl  nodded  to 
Job  in  a  friendly  way — "  Would  you  like  a  paper,  boy?" 

Before  he  could  reply  the  golden  head  vanished,  the  coach 
lumbered  on,  and  he  held  a  "  Harper's  Weekly "  in  his  hand. 
What  delight  the  pages  afforded  simple  Job !  He  ran  home 
and  cut  out  the  pictures  with  Grandfather's  shears,  then  fast- 
ened them  on  the  wall  with  large  crooked  pins.  There  were 
four  big  prints,  and  ever  so  many  little  ones,  which  afforded  a 
good  variety  for  a  gallery.     Here  was  a  queer  old  negro  mend- 


iio  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

ing  a  shoe  at  the  door  of  his  shop ;  there  a  beautiful  lady, 
with  a  high  satin  ruff  about  her  neck  and  pearls  in  her  dark 
hair.  The  gems  of  the  collection  were  the  two  largest  wood- 
cuts, according  to  Job's  ideas,  and  one  off  these  was  a  palace, 
with  gables  and  pointed  roof,  and  the  other  a  beach,  where  a 
fisherman's  wife  waited  for  the  boats  to  come  in. 

Nip  had  bewitched  these  pictures,  and  he  now  sat  on  the  pin 
that  held  the  palace  to  the  wall. 

The  old  negro  cobbler  in  the  shop  door  began  to  work — tap, 
tap  sounded  his  hammer;  while  t'he  parrot  in  the  cage  above 
scolded  a  monkey  that  was  slyly  stealing  its  food. 

Then  the  beautiful  lady  smiled,  showing  her  white  teeth,  and 
unfurled  her  large  fan  — one  could  see  that  she  was  a  Spaniard 
from  the  grace  with  which  she  used  it.  As  for  the  fisherman's 
wife,  she  took  several  steps  along  the  beach,  shading  her  eyes 
with  her  hand,  and  the  white  sails  gleamed  off  the  bar.  The 
fishing  fleet  was  coming  in  safely  after  the  storm. 

"  Now  look  at  the  palace,"  said  Nip,  from  his  seat  on  the 
large  brass  pin. 


The  Old  Palace  Tells  a  Story.  1 1 1 


THE  HOUSE    THAT  JACQUES  BUILT 

"  I  am  very  old,"  said  the  Palace  in  the  picture.  "  There  are 
no  such  strong  walls  and  towers  built  nowadays,  because  there 
are  no  robber  bands  to  plunder  as  they  did  when  I  was  erect- 
ed ;  and  great  armies  are  not  as  likely  to  besiege  and  destroy 
cities. 

"  Yes,  I  am  very  old,  as  I  said  before,  and  Jacques  Cceur 
built  me  after  the  quaint  fancy  of  his  own  mind.  I  suppose 
there  never  was  a  palace  with  as  many  odd  twists  and  turns 
in  it  as  I  have. 

"  Do  you  know  who  Jacques  Cceur  was  ?  He  lived  in  France 
a  great  many  years  ago,  and  he  was  called  the  merchant  prince 
of  his  country.  He  was  a  good  and  wise  man,  but  his  king 
was  weak  and  cruel,  and  made  him  suffer  for  his  prosperity. 
Those  were  the  days  when  Joan  of  Arc  saved  France,  but 
Jacques  Cceur  helped  with  his  money. 

"  He  built  his  home  in  the  old  city  of  Bourges,  which  had 
narrow,  winding  streets,  where  the  tall  buildings  seemed  to 
touch  overhead,  and  a  grand  cathedral  stands  now  just  as  it 
did  in  Jacques  Cceur's  day. 

"  Here  you  see  the  front  of  the  palace,  which  opens  on  the 
street.  The  wall  is  richly  carved,  and  the  massive  gateway  has 
a  large  knocker  on  the  door,  with  a  hammer  that  strikes  on  a 
heart.     To  the  left  is  a  pointed  tower,  evidently  belonging  to 


1 1 2  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

the  kitchen.  Over  the  kitchen  door  funny  little  figures  are 
carved  of  cooks  and  scullions  busy  with  brooms  and  pots,  just 
like  cooks  at  the  present  time. 

"  The  rear  of  the  building  is  like  a  fortress,  with  a  rampart 
and  moat,  and  no  windows.  There  is  a  round  tower  overlook- 
ing the  moat,  where  Jacques  Cceur  had  an  office ;  and  above  the 
office  was  a  vaulted  strong  room,  secured  by  an  iron  door,  and 
a  wonderful  lock,  that  still  works  after  centuries  of  use.  There 
he  kept  his  money-bags.  There  were  no  safes  or  police  then, 
and  the  burglars  were  armed  bands  of  rude  soldiers. 

"  More  than  four  hundred  years  ago  Jacques  Cceur  stood  in 
this  little  office,  looking  through  the  narrow  window  out  on  the 
roofs  and  chimneys,  which  were  ornamented  with  gilded  cockle- 
shells and  statues  of  monks.  His  thoughts  must  have  wander- 
ed beyond  the  moat  and  the  level  meadows  of  the  province  of 
Berri  to  the  blue  Mediterranean,  where  every  breeze  was  waft- 
ing along  his  ships  freighted  with  wealth  from  the  rich  ports 
of  the  East.  He  would  serve  his  king,  Charles  VII.,  faithfully; 
but  the  wicked  monarch  would  pay  the  debt  by  arresting  the 
merchant  and  casting  him  into  prison. 

"  Jacques  Cceur  belonged  to  the  people.  His  father  was  a 
merchant  before  him,  but  the  son  had  greater  industry.  He 
sent  out  travellers  in  every  direction ;  he  regulated  the  mint  of 
Paris ;  he  went  on  a  mission  to  the  Pope.  When  he  erected 
this  palace,  he  said  to  himself : 

" '  This  house  shall  be  my  tomb,  and  tell  the  story  of  my  life 
and  age.  I  have  earned  my  gold  by  working  hard — yet  it  is  not 
safe  for  me  to  be  rich;  so  I  must  make  iron  doors  and  secret 
passages,  as  well  as   drawing-rooms   and   chapels,  decorated  by 


Nip  begins  a  Story.  1 1  3 

Italian  artists.  Every  one  shall  know  that  here  lived  a  great 
merchant,  with  wife,  sons,  and  a  daughter.     lie  loved  Bourges, 

and  Bourges  loved  him,  for  he  paid  his  workmen  well.  My 
motto  is  a  good  one  — "  To  a  brave  heart  nothing  is  impos- 
sible." ' 

"  Here  I  stand  and  still  tell  the  story,"  said  the  picture,  and 
became  silent. 

Queen  Puff  was  working  with  all  her  tiny  might. 

"  Dear  Job,  I  must  finish  the  children's  dreams  for  Christ- 
mas Eve,"  said  the  good  little  thing.  "  I  have  a  story  to  tell 
when  I  get  through  with  the  thread." 

"  Take  your  own  time,"  interposed  Nip,  swinging  his  heels 
on  the  pin,  as  if  it  had  been  a  cross-bar.  "  I  will  give  you 
some  of  my  own  experience.  I  went  last  year  to  see  a  fairy 
regatta,  and  will  tell  you  all  about  it." 

H 


ii4  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


THE  FAIRY  REGATTA. 

"  I  believe  that  you  are  all  aware  of  my  place  of  residence. 
I  live  in  the  Berkshire  Hills,  behind  a  blackberry- bush ;  and 
you  may  always  leave  word  if  I  am  wanted  with  the  grasshop- 
pers near  by,  for  my  trade  as  pedler  naturally  keeps  me  ab- 
sent a  good  deal. 

"  Well,  I  thought  I  knew  the  country  pretty  well,  but  last 
summer  I  made  a  discovery.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  had  been 
teasing  a  blackbird,  and  I  told  him  if  I  could  discover  his  nest 
I  would  frighten  his  wife  into  fits.  This  was  only  talk,  as  my 
heart  is  in  the  right  place,  after  all ;  still  I  must  peer  about 
in  search  of  the  nest,  to  torment  the  bird. 

"  Suddenly  I  found  myself  at  the  mouth  of  a  cave — that  was 
my  discovery.  I  never  saw  the  cave  before.  The  entrance 
was  so  high  and  wide  that  it  seemed  as  if  a  ship  might  pass  in 
without  touching  the  lofty  arches.  I  walked  in  and  soon  found 
that  the  cavern  narrowed  more  and  more  ;  at  the  farther  ex- 
tremity there  was  a  mere  crack,  through  which  I  slipped,  and 
groped  my  way  onward.  It  was  very  dark  until  a  turn  in  the 
passage  showed  a  ray  of  light  in  the  distance,  and  I  also  heard 
the  murmur  of  water  trickling  along  a  rocky  bed  beside  me. 
The  light  increasing,  I  soon  found  myself  on  the  brink  of  a 
small  lake,  and  on  the  margin  where  the  rushes  grew  was 
moored  a  little  boat  of  silver,  with  two  oars  just  large  enough 


On  the  Enchanted  Lake. 


115 


for  my  grasp.  Could  anything  have  been  more  delightful ! 
The  boat  seemed  waiting  for  me.  Whether  it  was  or  not,  I 
lost  no  time  in  jumping  aboard,  and  pushing  off  from  the  shore. 
I  have  a  great  deal  of  curiosity,  and  I  like  to  see  every  place 
with  my  own  eyes.  No  guide-books  of  travel  for  Nip,  if  you 
please ! 

"  The  radiance  resting  on  the  lake  was  like  moonlight,  and 
as  my  boat  floated  along  I  noticed  that  the  water  was  quick- 
silver, and  the  lilies  on  the  surface  large  pearls  with  emerald 
leaves.  I  rowed  swiftly  in  one  direction,  and  then  concluded 
to  change  my  course ;  but  when  I  attempted  to  turn  the  boat 
around,  I  discovered  that  it  was  drawn  straight  on  as  a  steel 
obeys  the  magnet.  This  surprised  me,  but  I  was  not  afraid. 
'  I   suppose    I   must  be  going   to  the   opposite   shore   for  some 


ii6  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

good  purpose,  whether  I  wish  to  or  not,'  I  reflected.  The  boat 
was  borne  along  by  the  current  to  an  island  in  the  middle  of 
the  lake,  where  stood  a  single  tree  covered  with  scarlet  blos- 
soms of  great  beauty.  Out  I  skipped  to  examine  the  strange 
tree,  and  immediately  my  boat  vanished.  A  winding  staircase 
of  polished  brass  led  around  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  I  climbed 
it,  as  there  seemed  nothing  else  to  do.  When  I  gained  the  top, 
one  of  the  scarlet  blossoms  unfolded  into  a  red -velvet  arm- 
chair ;  and  I  had  no  sooner  seated  myself  in  it  than  the  whole 
island  began  to  sink  slowly  below  the  surface  of  the  lake,  car- 
rying me  down  miles  into  the  depths  of  the  earth.  When  we 
stopped,  the  scarlet  blossom  puffed  me  away  with  a  breath  of 
wind  like  a  feather,  and  I  landed  on  my  feet.  Here  was  an- 
other cave,  only  one  altogether  splendid,  for  the  walls  were 
veined  with  rough  gold  ore,  and  a  diamond  chandelier  sparkled 
in  the  dome.  Purple-velvet  curtains,  fringed  with  gold,  shaded 
the  entrance,  and  two  curious  vases  stood  on  each  side.  I  was 
greeted  by  an  old  magician,  with  a  white  beard,  who  had  a 
skull-cap  on  his  head. 

"  '  I  own  all  this  region,'  he  said.  '  Have  you  come  to  join 
in  the  Fairy  Regatta,  little  man  ?' 

" '  I  suppose  so,  since  I  am  here,'  I  replied.  '  I  can  never  win, 
though,  I  fear.' 

"  '  We  shall  see  ;'  and  the  magician  led  me  awav  from  the 
cave  down  to  the  bank  of  a  stream,  where  a  multitude  of  little 
boats  were  darting  about,  some  fashioned  like  swans,  others  like 
dolphins  and  crabs,  guided  by  the  Nixies'  tiny  water-spirits. 

" '  The  Nixies  have  an  annual  regatta  at  this  spot,'  explained 
the  kind   mao;ician.     '  Their  Oueen  is  seated  under  a  rose-leaf 


The  Dragon- Fly  Boat. 


1 1 


pavilion    over  yonder,  and   she   will  give  as  a  prize  the   magic 
drum.' 

"  He  then  took  from  his  snuff-box  a  boat  made  in  the  form 
of  a  dragon-fly,  with  outspread  wings,  winch  was  cut  from  a 
single  sapphire.  He  launched  me  in  this  boat,  first  giving  me 
three  grains  of  snuff  to  use  if  I  found  it  necessary.  Away  I 
sped  in  my  lovely  dragon-fly  boat  to  form  in  line  with  five  oth- 
ers; and  the  Nixy  boatman  could  not  object  to  my  trying  my 
luck  with  the  rest,  as  the  powerful  magician  had  sent  me  to 
join  in  the  race. 


1 1 8  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

"  The  first  boat  was  a  ruby  grasshopper,  on  the  wherry  model ; 
the  second,  a  pearl  snail-shell,  of  the  dory  style;  the  third,  a 
crystal  spider ;  the  fourth,  a  miniature  ebony  shark ;  and  the 
fifth,  a  goldfish. 

"  The  Nixy  Queen,  seated  beneath  her  rose-leaf  pavilion, 
bowed  to  the  magician  on  the  opposite  shore,  and  gave  one  tap 
on  the  magic  drum,  as  a  signal  for  the  race  to  begin.  Away 
shot  the  little  boats,  the  oars  flashing  through  the  water,  and 
made  for  the  goal,  a  cork  anchored  in  mid -stream  for  a  buoy. 

"  The  grasshopper  boat  was  named  the  Dauntless,  and  its 
colors  were  green. 

"The  pearl  snail -shell  was  christened  Vixen,  with  a  white 
badge. 

"  The  crystal  spider  had  Mermaid  written  on  the  stern,  and 
sported  pink. 

"  The  ebony  shark  was  Sea  Foam,  with  dark  blue. 

"  As  for  my  dragon-fly,  I  dubbed  it  Nip  the  Second,  with  or- 
ange colors,  as  I  am  so  fond  of  yellow. 

"  At  the  tap  of  the  magic  drum  we  got  off  in  good  order,  the 
Dauntless  leading,  Mermaid  second,  Vixen  and  Sea  Foam  in 
line.  The  Nixies  showed  s;ood  training,  and  their  Oueen  was 
delighted  with  their  fine  appearance.  As  for  me,  it  was  plainly 
to  be  seen  that  they  considered  me  of  no  great  account,  and 
not  likely  to  prove  a  rival.  I  thought,  '  It  is  a  good  old  prov- 
erb that  says  let  him  laugh  who  wins.' 

"  The  Daiintlcss  had  got  the  lead,  which  is  an  advantage, 
and  meant  to  keep  it ;  but  I  made  a  fine  spurt,  and  drew  along- 
side of  the  Nixy  fleet.  I  could  never  have  kept  pace  with  them 
had  I  not  scattered  the  three  snuff-grains  given  me  by  the  ma- 


Nip  Wins  Ike  Match.  119 

gician.  This  had  a  very  curious  effect  on  my  companions — 
each   Nixy  rested  on  his  oars,  bowed  his  head,  and  sneezed. 

"  I  pulled  away  while  this  happened,  and  gained  the  cork  in 
advance  of  the  Dauntless  by  two  boats'  length.  That  was  a 
victory!     And  the  contest  was  most  exciting. 

"  I  received  the  magic  drum,  which  was  no  larger  than  a 
thimble,  and  could  be  slung  over  the  shoulder  with  a  chain. 
What  do  you  suppose  I  did  with  it  ?  Why,  I  beat  one  smart 
tune  on  it,  and  sold  it  to  the  Nixies,  who  were  anxious  to  keep 
it  in  their  possession.  Heigh  !  I  almost  wish  that  I  had  kept 
it,  for  I  believe  I  could  have  got  more  for  it  above  ground,  if 
only  as  a  curiosity. 

"  I  went  back  to  the  magician,  who  entertained  me  very 
handsomely,  for  he  was  pleased  with  my  success.  He  wish- 
ed me  to  remain  with  him  down  there  in  the  gold  cave,  and 
promised  to  tell  me  half  of  his  secrets,  which  were  written  on 
parchment  in  a  great  book  fastened  with  a  steel  lock  ;  but  I 
missed  my  dear  home  behind  the  blackberry-bush.  I  sang 
'  Home,  sweet  home,'  to  the  magician ;  and  after  that  he  made 
no  objection  to  my  departure,  partly  because  I  sang  it  out  of 
time,  I  believe. 

"  He  took  his  large  pipe  with  the  porcelain  bowl,  and  when 
he   had   lighted   it  he   told   me    to    step   into   the   pipe,  and   he 

would  blow  me  up  to  the  earth's  surface. 

4 

"  '  I  am  afraid  of  getting  burned,'  I  objected. 

"  '  I  would  not  hurt  you  for  the  world,'  said  the  magician ;  and 
I  must  say  he  was  as  good  as  his  word. 

"  He  rubbed  some  sweet  ointment  over  me  to  keep  my  skin 
from  scorching,  and  while  he  was  doing  it  he  picked  my  pocket 


i  20  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

of  the  sum  I  had  received  from  the  Nixies  for  the  mao-ic  drum. 
I  did  not  discover  this  until  I  was  home  ;  but  I  call  it  mean, 
as  it  was  a  fair  trade.  So  I  was  popped  into  the  porcelain  bowl 
of  the  pipe,  the  magician  blew  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and  away  I 
went  up  to  the  earth's  surface  and  daylight  again." 

Job  was  much  amused  at  the  idea  of  Nip  rowing  a  match. 

"  Do  you  believe  you  would  have  won  without  the  snuff?" 

"  I  daresay  I  could  with  practice,"  said  Nip.  "  You  should 
have  seen  the  Fairy  Regatta  in  line,  though !" 

"  I  wish  you  had  kept  the  drum,"  said  Job. 

"  So  do  I.  Perhaps  I  will  go  to  the  match  next  year.  I 
don't  mind  telling  you  that  I  practice  every  spare  moment  in 
a  walnut-shell  which  I  keep  in  the  horse-trough." 

Fairies  may  have  plans  for  the  future,  just  as  mortals  say 
"  I  will  go  to  a  new  school  in  the  spring."  Queen  Puff  had 
finished  her  dream-thread  by  this  time,  and  set  aside  her  wheel. 

"  The  last  of  it  will  serve  for  morning  dreams  just  before  the 
children  awake  to  look  into  their  stockings,"  she  said,  smooth- 
ing her  apron  and  folding  her  hands  in  her  lap. 

Then  all  kept  silence  while  she  told  the  following  story. 


Queen  Puff  begins  a  Story. 


121 


THE  DOVE  MAIDEN. 


!« 


"A  little  boy  and  girl  were 
trudging  home  from  school, 
swinging  their  luncheon  has- 
ket  between  them.  The  little 
girl's  face  was  pretty  and  good- 
i  humored  ;  the  boy  had  an  ugly 
habit  of  frowning  and  shutting 
his  mouth  firmly  when  any- 
thing did  not  please  him.  The 
sister  had  only  to  find  the  larg- 
est slice  of  buttered  bread  in 
the  luncheon  basket  to  bring  this  ugly  scowl ;  and  the  good 
schoolmistress  said  that  Otto  would  make  neither  a  kind  nor 
generous  man  if  he  did  not  mend  that  troublesome  temper  of 
his  own. 

"The  evening  was  clear  and  beautiful.  You  never  saw  a  coun- 
try like  that  through  which  these  children  walked,  Job.  The 
land  was  very  level,  and  protected  by  dikes  from  the  overflow 
of  the  sea.  The  meadows  were  rich  with  grass  and  wild  flow- 
ers, where  large  herds  of  sleek  cattle  fed ;  and  canals  wound  in 
and  out  among  these  fields,  with  barges  floating  along  on  their 
clear  waters.  If  you  were  not  an  ignorant  boy,  Job,  you  would 
know  at  a  glance  that  this  country  was  Holland,  where  the  first 


1 2  2  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

Dutch  settlers  of  New  York  came  from,  even  as  Nip's  Yankee 
giant  landed  on  the  coast  of  New  England.  The  boy  and  girl. 
Otto  and  Sophia  Snyder  by  name,  had  entered  the  wide 
meadow  which  alone  separated  them  from  their  home. 

"  '  Let  us  rest  awhile,'  said  Otto,  throwing  himself  on  the 
ground  ;    and  Sophia  followed  his  example. 

"  The  grass  rose  like  a  green  sea  all  about  them.  Over  against 
the  sky  was  the  neat  village  where  they  lived,  the  red-roofed 
houses  shaded  by  willow-trees.  Otto  knew  Aunt  Katrine  would 
expect  him  to  feed  the  hens  and  pigs,  as  well  as  to  drive  the 
cows  home ;  still  he  sat  in  the  grass. 

"  They  talked  about  the  beetles  toiling  at  their  feet,  the  bus- 
tling, hurrying  ants,  and  Otto  tried  to  catch  a  pretty  field-mouse 
that  darted  past  him  to  hide  in  the  ground. 

"  '  If  I  could  find  the  nest,  what  fun  it  would  be  to  take  the 
baby  mice  !'  exclaimed  the  boy,  crawling  along  on  his  hands 
and  knees  to  the  spot  where  the  mouse  had  disappeared. 

"  Three  storks  were  roaming  by  the  water-side,  among  flags 
and  osiers,  in  search  of  frogs. 

"  '  Oh,  Otto  !  look  up  there  !'  cried  Sophia,  pointing  to  the  sky. 

"  Otto  forgot  the  hunted  mouse  in  a  moment,  and  sprang  to 
his  feet  to  gaze  in  the  direction  indicated  by  his  sister.  High 
up  in  the  air  were  two  doves,  with  feathers  of  dazzling  white- 
ness, that  soared  along  unconscious  of  danger.  A  large  black 
hawk  was  winging  its  swift  flight  in  keen  pursuit  of  the  pretty 
doves.  At  last  the  birds  seemed  to  become  aware  of  their  peril, 
for  the  hawk  darted  above  them,  prepared  to  swoop  down  on 
the  helpless  mates.  The  children,  who  had  watched  their  move- 
ments with  breathless  interest,  now  saw  them  circle  nearer  and 


i-f  w<m  sm 


The  I  lawk  and  the  Doves.  125 

nearer  to  the  earth  in  their  terror  of  the  cruel  enemy  in  pur- 
suit. 

"'Dear  little  birds,  I  will  shelter  you,'  cried  Sophia,  holding 
out  her  apron  in  her  eagerness  to  save  them. 

"  The  cloves  sank  into  the  apron,  exhausted  with  fatigue  and 
fear,  and  the  girl  clasped  them  in  her  arms.  The  hawk  dashed 
down  until  his  sharp  beak  and  glittering  eyes  were  close  to 
Sophia's  face  ;  and  she  screamed  with  terror,  but  she  did  not 
drop  the  doves. 

"  Now  came  the  ugly  frown  on  Otto's  face  ;  he  seized  a  stick, 
and  aimed  a  blowr  at  the  bold  hawk. 

"  '  The  doves  belong  to  us !  Let  me  see  you  touch  them  !'  he 
shouted,  angrily. 

"  The  hawk  gave  a  hoarse  shriek  of  rage  and  disappointment. 
then  rose  slowly  in  the  air,  and  flew  away  in  search  of  other 
game.  The  children  cautiously  uncovered  the  birds  to  admire 
them,  and  Otto  held  one  while  Sophia  carried  the  other.  Never 
were  such  lovely  birds  seen !  Their  plumage  was  snowy  on  the 
wings,  and  shaded  to  crimson  and  emerald  green  on  the  breasts. 
Around  each  slender  neck  was  fastened  a  gold  chain  studded 
•with  jewels,  which  flashed  in  the  sun  like  a  circlet  of  fire. 

"  The  captives  were  restless  to  resume  their  flight  after  the 
danger  was  over ;  but  the  children  had  no  idea  of  losing  such 
charming  pets,  so  they  carried  them  home  in  spite  of  their  fran- 
tic efforts  to  escape. 

"  The  village  was  as  clean  as  constant  scrubbing  by  the  tidy 
housewives  could  make  it.  You  should  have  seen  Aunt  Ka- 
trine, rain  or  shine,  polish  the  door-step,  just  as  they  do  still 
in   the   city  of  Philadelphia.     The  village   people  were   already 


126  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

drinking  tea,  after  the  days  labors,  and  the  children  passed 
open  doors,  which  afforded  glimpses  of  tables,  shelves,  and 
earthenware,  all  spotlessly  pure. 

"  Aunt  Katrine  was  surprised  to  see  the  prizes  the  children 
had  captured  at  the  expense  of  being  late  to  supper.  She  put 
on  her  spectacles,  and  held  up  her  hands.  '  I  never  saw  doves 
with  chains  around  their  necks,'  she  declared. 

"  '  I  shall  take  mine  off,'  said  Otto,  resolutely. 

"  He  untwined  the  chain,  and  the  dove  immediately  changed 
to  a  little  girl,  with  soft  brown  hair,  her  dress  of  some  delicate 
fabric,  like  a  cobweb,  embroidered  with  silver  stars,  with  silver 
shoes  on  her  feet,  and  a  cap  of  silver  on  her  head.  She  was 
unlike  any  one  that  Aunt  Katrine  had  ever  seen,  and  the 
children  thought  her  an  angel. 

"  The  other  dove  no  sooner  beheld  the  transformation  of  its 
mate  than  it  gave  a  loud  note  of  alarm,  and,  slipping  through 
Sophia's  fat  fingers,  soared  high  in  the  air.  Sophia  was  staring 
so  earnestly  at  the  stranger  child  that  she  did  not  recover  her 
wits  until  her  pet  was  out  of  reach. 

"  The  dove  child,  remaining  below,  gazed  about  wonderingly 
for  a  moment,  then  sprang  up  into  the  air,  and  tried  to  snatch 
the  chain  from  Otto's  grasp.  She  nearly  succeeded  in  doing 
so,  but  the  boy  was  larger  and  stronger,  and  held  it  in  his  grasp. 

"  '  This  belongs  to  me,  and  you  do,  too,'  he  said,  frowning. 
1  When  I  am  a  man  I  shall  take  the  chain  to  Rotterdam,  and 
sell  it  for  a  pot  of  money.' 

"  Aunt  Kate  and  Sophia  were  very  kind  to  the  stranger. 
They  stroked  her  fair  hair  and  admired  her  dress,  while  greedy 
Otto  ran  away  to  hide  the  precious  chain  in  a  particular  nook 


The  Dove  Child.  127 

behind  the  beam,  where  he  kept  a  bird-trap  and  fishing-rod. 
When  supper  was  served,  the  dove  child  peeked  daintily  at  the 
coarse  bread,  but  she  could  not  talk  beyond  making  little  coo- 
ing sounds  quite  like  a  dove. 

"Aunt  Katrine  took  off  her  star-spangled  robe,  and  laid  it 
away  carefully  for  holidays;  then  she  was  dressed  just  like  So- 
phia in  a  woollen  petticoat  and  apron,  yet  she  seemed  a  prin- 
cess beside  the  honest  little  peasant  lass;  and  you  could  have 
made  nothing  else  of  her,  she  was  so  delicate  and  pretty.  The 
children  both  learned  to  love  her  after  their  own  fashion.  Otto 
considered  that  he  owned  her,  and  he  scolded  her  as  he  did 
Sophia  when  she  displeased  him ;  yet  he  would  not  allow 
others  to  be  rude  to  her,  especially  in  the  school,  where  all 
the  village  children  met  together. 

"  A  long  time  passed,  and  the  dove  child  appeared  to  have 
grown  quite  contented  with  her  new  life ;  she  never  tried  to 
find  the  chain  which  Otto  had  concealed  so  cleverly.  One  day 
she  paused  in  the  meadow,  and  the  other  dove  hovered  down 
to  alight  on  her  hand.  She  received  it  with  delight,  cooing 
over  it  in  her  own  tongue,  just  as  if  she  had  never  learned 
another  language. 

"  Otto  found  them  talking  together,  and  bade  her  catch  the 
dove ;  but  this  she  would  not  do,  so  the  bird  flew  above  the 
boy's  reach. 

" '  If  it  comes  again  I  will  shoot  it  with  a  gun,'  cried  Otto, 
shaking  his  fist  angrily. 

"  Then  the  dove  child  wept,  and  told  her  mate  what  the 
naughty  boy  had  said  ;  and  the  clove  went  away,  not  daring 
to  return.     The  little  girl  begged  Otto  to  restore  her  chain. 


128 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


"'No,  indeed,'  said  he.  'Your  father  must  be  a  great  king 
or  prince  from  your  appearance.  When  he  comes  to  take  you 
away  in  a  gilded  chariot  drawn  by  splendid  horses,  he  must 
give  me  ten  chests  of  silver  to  make  me  rich.  Then  he  may 
have  you,  and  the  chain  also.' 

"  The  dove  child  looked  at  him  sadly. 

" '  You  seem  to  care  more'  for  money  already  than  your  own 
good.' 

" '  I  wish  to  have  my  own  way,'  cried  Otto.  '  Yes,  and  I  will 
have  it  always !' 


Aunt  Katrine  Finds  the  Chain.  129 

"She  ran  to  Aunt  Katrine,  who  always  petted  and  soothed 
her,  entreating  her  with  many  tears  to  find  the  chain  which 
Otto  had  concealed  so  long-  ago. 

"  '  What  strange  enchantment  binds  you,  poor  child  ?'  asked 
the  good  woman,  hoping  to  hear  a  story  of  magic.  The  stran- 
ger only  shook  her  head  sorrowfully,  and  looked  away  into 
the  clear  sky  where  the  other  dove  had  flown.  After  this 
she  grew  discontented  and  unhappy.  Often  would  she  watch 
for  her  mate,  but  the  other  never  dared  to  appear,  for  fear 
Ottos  bullet  should  pierce  its  tender  breast. 

"  Aunt  Katrine  decided  to  find  the  chain,  and  release  the 
child,  whatever  the  result  mioht  be.  She  was  an  amiable  old 
lady,  and  she  rather  dreaded  Otto's  ill-temper,  so  she  asked 
him  nothing  about  the  matter,  because  she  feared  he  would 
only  hide  the  chain  somewhere  else.  Besides,  he  was  already 
growing  to  be  a  tall,  stout  lad,  and  would  soon  become  master 
of  the  house.  Accordingly,  she  chose  an  hour  when  the  baking 
and  sweeping  were  done  for  the  day,  the  children  away  at 
school,  and,  putting  on  her  spectacles,  deliberately  began  the 
search. 

"  First  she  examined  the  chamber  where  Otto  slept,  but  there 
she  found  nothing  besides  a  few  playthings.  Then  she  remem- 
bered that  the  boy  came  down  the  ladder  from  the  attic  after 
he  had  run  away  with  the  chain  on  the  day  when  the  dove 
child  was  found;  so  up  the  creaking  ladder  went  Aunt  Katrine, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  she  placed  her  hand  directly  on  the 
chain  as  it  lay  coiled  up  snugly  on  the  beam  behind  the  bird- 
trap.  She  returned  to  the  kitchen  with  the  treasure,  and,  seat- 
ing herself  by  the  open  window,  admired  the  delicate  chain,  pol- 

I 


I  10 


The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


ishing  the  jewels   on  her  sleeve  the  while,  just  to   make  them 
sparkle  and  glitter. 

"  A  tiny  black  dwarf  crept  through  the  window  like  a  spider, 
and  perched  on  the  back  of  Aunt  Katrine's  chair,  without  her 
being  aware  of  his  presence.  The  dwarf  nedded  and  chuckled 
as  he  peered  over  her  shoulder.  After  a  while  he  drew  a  bit 
of  folded  paper  from  his  girdle,  which  grew  in  size  to  a  large 
fan,  ornamented  with  strange  figures  and  smelling  of  sweet  per- 
fume, and  began  gently  to  fan  Aunt  Katrine.    The  perfume  was 


thus  wafted  from  the  paper,  and  presently  she  bobbed  her  head 
twice,  and  sank  back  in  the  chair  fast  asleep.  Oh,  dear!  she 
had  done  more  harm  than  good  with  the  best  intentions.  Down 
hopped  the  dwarf  to  the  floor,  and  snatched  the  chain  from 
her  lap.     She   opened  her  heavy   eyes  just  as   he   reached  the 


Malicious  Skimp.  i  3 1 

door,  where  he  took  the  chain  in  his  mouth  ;  then  wings  un- 
folded from  his  sides,  and  lie  flew  away  in  the  shape  of  the 
large  black  hawk  which  had  first  pursued  the  doves. 

"There  was  no  end  of  mischief  done!  Aunt  Katrine  wrung 
her  hands  over  her  folly  in  taking  the  chain  from  the  safe  hid- 
ing-place, and  now  some  evil  fairy  had  made  off  with  it. 

"  The  children  were  crossing  the  meadow  at  that  moment. 

" '  See  the  hawk  up  yonder  with  something  in  its  mouth,' 
said  Sophia. 

" '  It  must  be  a  frog  or  a  snake,'  returned  Otto,  not  dreaming 
that  the  precious  chain  was  gone. 

"  Aunt  Katrine  said  not  a  word,  like  the  cowardly  old  body 
she  was.  What  was  the  use  ?  Otto  would  sulk  for  a  month, 
and  the  dove  child  weep  herself  to  death  to  think  that  she  could 
never  be  restored  to  her  own  people,  wherever  they  might  be. 

"  Now  the  hawk  was  a  wicked  fairy,  Skimp  by  name,  who 
felt  malice  towards  every  one.  When  the  fairy  king's  third 
wife  died,  leaving  him  an  interesting  widower,  Skimp  expected 
to  be  asked  to  marry  him.  Instead  of  that  he  chose  her  young 
maid-of-honor,  and  Skimp's  temper  was  soured  ;  so  she  went 
about  in  many  shapes,  not  only  tormenting  the  other  fairies, 
but  any  chance  mortal  besides.  In  this  way  she  made  the 
acquaintance  of  all  the  giants  and  hobgoblins  in  the   universe. 

" '  Before  I  hide  the  chain  where  it  cannot  easily  be  found,  I 
must  do  a  trifle  more  mischief,'  she  thought,  and  paused  near  a 
great  city  where  the  smoke  could  be  seen  curling  up  from  the 
chimneys,  and  the  church  spires  were  outnumbered  by  the  masts 
of  the  shipping  in  the  harbor.  Here  she  changed  her  hawk 
dress  to  the  costume  of  a  country  girl ;  a  broad  hat  shaded  a 


132  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

rosy,  innocent  face  ;  she  carried  herself  shyly  and  awkwardly ; 
and  no  one  could  have  believed  that  the  simple  lassie  was 
shrewd,  wicked  Skimp,  so  perfect  was  her  disguise. 

"  She  entered  a  dingy  building,  where  young  men  were  busy 
counting  money  and  writing  in  books.  She  wished  to  see  their 
master  the  broker,  and  soon  she  was  showing  the  wonderful 
chain,  which  she  declared  she  desired  to  sell.  Of  course  the 
broker  wanted  it ;  he  would  give  his  head  for  the  diamond 
clasp  alone  ;  but  he  did  not  say  so — oh  no,  he  only  shut  one 
eye,  and  sighed  that  he  could  not  offer  more  than  two  gold 
pieces  for  it — such  a  trifle !  Skimp  had  been  inside  his  brain, 
and  whisked  around  twice  to  discover  his  thoughts,  although  she 
seemed  to  stand  opposite  all  the  while — a  simple  country  girl. 

" '  I  will  take  twenty  gold  pieces,'  she  said,  firmly. 

"  The  broker  shook  his  head  in  horror ;  he  would  give  four 
gold  pieces,  and  no  more.  Then  the  fairy  led  the  greedy  broker 
a  merry  dance.  Twice  she  gathered  up  the  chain,  and  went 
out  the  door  prepared  to  leave  without  completing  the  bargain, 
and  twice  the  broker  called  her  back,  adding  another  coin  to 
the  pile  on  the  counter.  Finally  he  paid  the  full  sum,  pre- 
tending to  shed  tears  at  his  own  folly;  and  all  the  clerks 
paused  with  quills  behind  their  ears  to  cry  also,  because 
their   great  employer   did. 

"  Skimp  departed  with  the  money,  leaving  the  broker  delight- 
ed to  have  obtained  the  chain  so  cheaply. 

"  Fairies  have  no  need  of  real  money,  so  Skimp  hid  hers  by 
the  steps  of  a  cathedral,  where  a  good  man  found  it  and  dis- 
tributed the  gold  to  the  poor,  which  the  broker  would  never 
have  done. 


Another   Theft  of  the  Dove  Chain.  133 

"  That  night  a  large  rat,  with  bright  eyes  like  two  beads,  crept 
into  the  chamber  where  the  broker  slept.  lie  had  the  chain 
in  a  stout  oak  box  beneath  the  bed,  and  his  door  was  barred, 
as  he  feared  robbers.  He  could  not  keep  out  a  rat,  especially 
when  that  rat  was  Madam  Skim}). 

"She  gnawed  up  a  quantity  of  bank-notes  to  a  soft  pulp, 
which  she  had  adroitly  slipped  from  between  the  leaves  of  a 
pocket-book.  With  this  she  rolled  two  little  balls,  and  popped 
them  into  the  sleeper's  ears,  so  that  he  could  hear  nothing. 
Then  she  attacked  the  box  under  the  bed  ;  gnaw,  gnaw,  went 
her  sharp  teeth  until  a  tiny  hole  was  made,  through  which  she 
dragged  the  clove  chain,  and  away  she  went  with  it. 

" '  That  was  well  done,'  said  Skimp,  changing  into  a  hawk. 

"  We  must  now  return  to  Aunt  Katrine's  house.  The  chil- 
dren all  grew  up.  Sophia,  a  blooming  maiden  of  eighteen,  mar- 
ried a  wealthy  mill-owner,  and  went  away. 

"  The  dove  child  was  tall  and  fair  in  appearance.  She  had 
long  since  outgrown  the  star-spangled  robe  and  tiny  shoes  she 
first  wore.     The  dove  mate  had  never  returned  to  visit  her. 

"  Otto  did  not  miss  the  chain  from  the  hiding-place,  for  soon 
after  Aunt  Katrine  had  lost  it  the  cottage  caught  fire  from  a 
smoking  chimney,  and  the  whole  building  was  destroyed.  Otto 
carried  out  the  furniture,  but  he  supposed  the  chain  must  have 
been  lost  in  the  flames.  Aunt  Katrine  still  kept  silent,  but  she 
was  very  kind  to  the  dove  child,  trying  to  repair  the  injury  she 
had  done  her. 

'"After  all,  she  is  better  off  here  in  a  Christian  home,'  thought 
poor  Aunt  Katrine,  and  then  she  looked  at  the  spangled  dress, 
wondering  where  the  dove  maiden  really  had  lived. 


134 


The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 


"  Otto  had  grown  to  be  a  handsome  young  man.  He  was 
faithful,  industrious,  and  honest,  and  rebuilt  the  cottage  with  his 
own  hands.  Still  he  must  always  have  his  own  way.  He 
wished  to  marry  the  dove  maiden.  Aunt  Katrine  thought  the 
girl  could  not  do  betters-after  she  died  there  would  be  no  one 
left  to  care  for  her  unless  she  married  Otto.  So  the  dove 
maiden  went  into  the  new  cottage  as  Otto's  wife,  although  she 
wept  many  tears  that  this  should  be  her  lot  instead  of  finding 
her  dove  companions  once  more.  Aunt  Katrine  still  scrubbed 
and  polished,  for  in  that  lay  her  chief  happiness,  and  the  dove 
maiden  was  too  delicate  for  such  hard  work.  One  fine  morn- 
ing the  good  aunt  put  on  her  spectacles  to  admire  a  pretty 
baby  which  lay  in  the  cradle,  as  white  as  milk,  with  sapphire 
eyes.  Otto  made  a  good  husband  enough,  and  he  was  proud 
of  his  wife  and  child,  but  he  was  surly  and  ill-tempered  if  any 
little  matter  went  wrong,  even  with   them.     The  dove  maiden 


The  Dove  Maidens  Story. 


do 


was  now  cheerful  and  happy  ;  she  called  the  child  Snowdrop, 
and  they  gathered  flowers  together  in  the  meadow,  while  Aunt 
Katrine  scrubbed.  When  the  little  girl  had  grown  sufficiently 
large  she  was  dressed  in  the  star-spangled  robe,  shoes,  and  sil- 
ver cap  which  her  mother  had  worn  before  her.  Aunt  Katrine 
was  very  much  pleased  with  Snowdrop  in  this  becoming  cos- 
tume. The  dove  maiden  led  her  to  the  meadow,  where  she 
loved  to  sit  near  the  spot  where  she  had  been  captured.  The 
Snyders  had  never  heard  a  word  of  her  story,  but  now  she  de- 
cided to  tell  it  to  Snowdrop,  who  listened  with  bright,  intelli- 
gent eyes. 

" '  I  dreamed  about  my  sister  last  night,'  she  said.  '  Per- 
haps if  we  wait  patiently  here  she  will  come  and  pay  us  a  visit.' 

" '  But  how  will  she  come  ?'  asked  Snowdrop. 

"'She  will  fly  here  with  her  beautiful  white  wings,  just  as  I 
did,'  returned  the  dove  maiden  with  a  sigh.  '  Attend,  my  child, 
while  I  tell  you  about  your  grandfather  and  relatives  in  the 
East.  The  King  of  Selgrobia  is  my  father.  He  has  a  brilliant 
court  thousands  of  miles  away  from  here,  where  the  palm-trees 
grow.  I  have  a  brother  who  is  a  Crown  Prince,  and  will  some 
time  be  king.  My  sister  and  I  were  the  only  daughters,  and 
we  were  twins.  We  were  born  with  little  gold  chains  about  our 
necks,  studded  with  jewels,  and  clasped  with  a  diamond  button. 
These  were  gifts  of  the  fairy  king  at  our  birth,  and  would  en- 
able us  to  become  doves  whenever  we  wished  to  fly  away.  The 
Queen,  our  mother,  considered  this  a  very  dangerous  gift;  and, 
fearing  we  would  avail  ourselves  of  the  chance  thus  granted  us, 
she  carefully  hid  the  two  chains  away  in  a  casket.  We  were 
brought  up   in   the   palace,  yet  seldom   visited  the   state   apart- 


136  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

ments.  Ah,  that  was  a  happy  life !  We  played  in  rose-gardens 
with  our  maids,  and  bathed  in  marble  fountains. 

" '  One  day  there  was  a  grand  reception,  in  which  a  Prince 
of  Ethiopia,  black  as  ebony,  and  wearing  a  turban  of  yellow 
satin  wound  with  chains  of  pearls,  was  presented  to  the  King. 
The  Crown  Prince,  our  brother,  was  present  at  the  ceremony ; 
but  we  were  too  young,  although  our  maids  ran  away  to  peep 
through  the  lattice  at  the  wonderful  stranger.  Left  alone,  we 
rambled  into  our  mother's  magnificent  apartments,  and  began 
to  examine  every  rare,  costly  article  of  furniture  with  childish 
curiosity.  Presently  we  found  a  casket  in  an  alcove  which  con- 
tained our  chains,  and  we  at  once  recognized  the  fairy  gifts. 

" ' "  Let  us  go  out  on  the  balcony,"  urged  my  sister. 

" '  So  we  stepped  out,  disobeying  our  mother,  and  tried  our 
wings  as  doves.  We  flew  into  the  audience -hall,  where  the 
King  sat  in  royal  robes,  and  that  was  the  last  time  I  ever  saw 
him.  We  sped  up  into  the  clear  sky,  and  after  a  journey  of 
many  days  reached  this  place,  It  is  a  cold  region  after  my 
home.' 

"  As  the  mother  ceased  speaking,  the  dove  sister  came  dart- 
ing down  to  visit  them.  The  dove  maiden  caressed  the  bird, 
shedding  warm  tears  of  joy  upon  its  snowy  feathers,  and  even 
Snowdrop  stroked  it  with  her  fat  little  hands. 

" '  I  have  been  to  the  fairy  king,'  said  the  clove.  '  He  says 
that  the  workman  who  made  the  chain  is  dead,  and  the  art 
died  with  him,  so  we  can  never  have  another.  The  fairy  sent 
this  pearl  ring  to  your  daughter.  No  one  can  take  it  from  her 
finger,  and  it  will  grant  her  wishes.' 

"  The    mother    and    child    returned    to    their   humble    home, 


Snowdrop   Takes  a  Journey. 


o/ 


where  Otto  no  sooner  beheld  the  pearl  ring  than  he  tried  to 
wrench  it  off;  but  the  ring  held  as  firmly  as  steel. 

" '  The  value  of  the  pearl  would  make  me  a  rich  man,  and 
I  will  have  it,'  he  scolded. 

"The  dove  maiden  was  afraid  he  would  hurt  the  child,  and 
secretly  made  up  her  mind  to  send  her  away  in  search  of  her 
grandfather's  kingdom.  When  Aunt  Katrine  saw  the  ring  she 
was  much  excited,  wishing  to  know  where  it  came  from  ;  and 
little  Snowdrop  told  her  that  a  beautiful  dove  brought  it  from 
the  skies.  Then  the  old  lady  told  the  dove  maiden  the  truth 
concerning  the  disappearance  of  the  dove  chain  on  the  day 
when  she  had  taken  it  from  Otto's  hiding-place  under  the  eaves. 

" '  Never  let  him  know,'  she  said,  earnestly ;  and  the  dove 
maiden  promised. 

"  '  I  will  go  and  find  the  chain  for  you,'  said  Snowdrop  to 
her  mother.  '  Then  we  can  travel  to  the  beautiful  country  you 
have  told  me  about.' 

"  So  the  mother  kissed  Snowdrop ;  and  the  little  girl,  wearing 
the  silver  cap  and  the  ring,  started  forth  in  search  of  the  dove 
chain.  She  tripped  along,  humming  a  gay  song  to  herself. 
She  had  left  her  dear  mamma  and  Aunt  Katrine  looking  sadly 
after  her,  yet  she  would  soon  return.  A  little  robin  flew  on  a 
twig,  and  sang — 

" '  Don't  get  into  the  boat' 

" '  What  do  you  say  ?'  asked  the  child,  puzzled. 

"  Then  a  toad  hopped  across  the  path,  and  croaked  — 

" '  Don't  get  into  the  boat' 

'"I  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking  about,'  laughed  Snow- 
drop, and  found  herself  on  the  brink  of  the  canal.     Directly  be- 


138 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


fore  her  was  a  boat,  with  gilded  bows,  the  inside  a  soft  pink- 
and-cream  color,  like  the  lining  of  a  conch -shell,  and  the  sail 
was  like  fine  white  silk.  Of  course,  the  little  girl  forgot  the 
words  croaked  by  the  toad  and  sung  by  the  robin,  as  warning, 
and  stepped  into  the  boat. 

"'I  will  not  move  the  anchor;    I  can  just  pretend  to  be  sail- 
ing on  the  canal — that  is  all,'  she  said. 

"  A  large  white  hand  glided  along  under  the  boat,  and  slipped 
the  chain  which  held  it  fastened  to  the  shore.     Snowdrop  was 

delighted  ;  the  boat  slid  along 
without  the  sail  being  hoisted. 
Had  she  but  known  it,  two  large 
white  hands  were  pushing  it 
steadily  away  from  the  bank. 

"  She  enjoyed  the  sail,  and 
she  was  also  a  trifle  frightened, 
the  current  of  the  river  seemed 
to  be  so  very  strong.  A  hawk 
came  skimming  close  to  the 
boat,  holding  a  crystal  bubble  in  its  beak,  which  the  bird  drop- 
ped on  Snowdrop's  head.  Crack  went  the  bubble,  scattering 
fine  fragments  all  about,  like  diamond  splinters,  and  a  fragrant 
liquid  flowed  over  the  little  girl's  face.  This  bath  made  the 
young  voyager  feel  exceedingly  queer;  she  rubbed  her  eyelids 
wearily,  her  arms  drooped,  and  she  sank  down  into  the  bottom 
of  the  boat  asleep. 

"  The  hawk  had  a  famous  trick  of  putting  people  to  sleep,  as 
we  have  seen. 

"  The  motion  of  the  boat  rocked  her  gently,  like  the  softest 


A  City  under  the  Sea.  1 39 

cradle,  as  she  glided  along  more  rapidly  than  ever.  The  two 
strong  white  hands  pushed  her  past  towns  and  hamlets  straight 
onward;  and  if  Snowdrop  had  been  awake  to  peep  over  the 
side  she  would  have  seen  not  only  the  hands,  but  two  fair  arms, 
and  a  head  covered  with  long,  floating  hair,  like  tangles  of  sea- 
weed. 

"  '  I  have  caught  a  pretty  mouse — a  new  toy,'  gurgled  a  soft 
voice  down  under  the  waves. 

"  When  the  little  girl  awoke  and  raised  her  head  to  gaze 
about  her,  there  was  wide,  rolling  sea  extending  from  one  side 
of  the  sky  quite  around  to  the  other.  The  frail  cockle-shell  of 
a  boat  was  tossed  high  in  the  air  by  the  rough  billows,  and 
Snowdrop  shrieked  with  terror  every  time  she  mounted  a  crest 
to  plunge  down  the  other  side.  Oh,  how  silly  it  was  to  get  into 
the  boat,  and  go  to  sleep !  How  she  wished  she  was  safe  at 
home  with  her  dear  mamma  and  Aunt  Katrine !  She  never 
once  thought  of  her  fairy  ring,  although  it  was  on  her  finger 
all  the  time. 

"  A  large  wave  towered  high  before  the  frightened  child ;  the 
boat  was  upset,  and  she  was  caught  in  the  white  arms  waiting 
to  receive  her,  then  borne  swiftly  and  safely  through  the  rush- 
ing waters. 

"  Before  the  bewildered  traveller  knew  what  she  was  about, 
she  stood  at  the  gates  of  a  city.  What  surprised  her  most 
was  the  fact  that  her  starry  dress  and  silver  cap  were  perfectly 
dry,  although  she  was  in  the  water  all  the  while.  This  would 
not  have  been  the  case  had  not  her  fairy  ring  been  on  her 
finger. 

"  At  first  the  city  seemed  to  be  precisely  similar  to  cities  on 


140  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

land :  there  were  shops,  squares,  and  palaces ;  and  the  wall  was 
thickly  crusted  with  oysters  and  barnacles,  like  a  ship  which  has 
been  in  the  water  a  long  while.  On  closer  inspection  Snow- 
drop discovered  the  difference :  the  avenues  were  sand,  the  rows 
of  buildings  large  shells.  It  would  be  easy  to  find  the  residence 
of  a  friend  here  if  one  was  a  stranger.  There  was  a  street  com- 
posed wholly  of  cowries,  another  of  clam-shells,  another  of  scal- 
lops, a  fourth  of  periwinkles,  and  so  on,  through  all  the  king- 
dom of  shells.  Snowdrop  was  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  read 
on  sign-boards — "  Clam-shell  Terrace,"  "  Cowry  Place,"  or  "  Peri- 
winkle Avenue."  She  wralked  dry-shod  through  the  streets,  but 
she  noticed  that  the  inhabitants  darted  about  swiftly  and  noise- 
lessly, for  they  all  had  fish-tails.  The  city  was  very  bright, 
almost  as  if  illuminated  with  gas,  and  Snowdrop  discovered  that 
this  light  was  shed  from  a  sun -fish  hung  on  a  pole  in  a  large 
park  of  sea-weeds.  The  sun-fish  was  phosphorescent,  and  at 
night  the  watchman  wras  obliged  to  draw  a  blind  over  it,  in 
order  that  the  people  should  sleep  a  wink. 

"  In  the  centre  of  this  sea-weed  park  was  a  building  made  of 
the  bell  of  a  jelly-fish,  which  was  like  the  most  beautiful  crystal, 
or  blown-glass,  with  pink-and-blue  tints  on  the  walls.  Snow- 
drop could  see  people  moving  about  inside  this  palace,  and  she 
approached  it.  Two  sword-fish  policemen  hovered  about  the 
entrance. 

" '  This  is  a  prison,'  they  said,  very  fiercely. 

"  Snowdrop  ran  up  the  steps,  and  entered  the  first  hall,  where 
a  group  of  mermaids  were  playing  on  coral  harps  with  draped 
sea-lettuce.  One  of  these  took  Snowdrop's  hand — '  I  caught 
you,  little  maid,  and  I  shall  keep  you  for  a  pet'     The  second 


Queen  Kornor. 


141 


hall  was  spacious  and  beautiful ;  at  the  farther  end  was  a  throne 
of  rock,  upon  which  sat  a  woman  who  was  turned  to  stone,  ail 
except  her  head,  and  bound  with  iron  chains  to  her  seat. 

"  Before  her  were  open  coffers  and  curious  relics  of  all  sorts, 
with  piles  of  silk  fabrics,  jewels,  bars  of  gold,  and  coins,  such  as 
are  lost  in  shipwrecks. 


"  A  number  of  young  men  and  maidens,  robed  in  dazzling 
white,  who  were  evidently  her  subjects,  sorted  the  treasure  into 
chests ;  but  the  Queen  did  not  seem  to  find  any  amusement 
in  their  employment. 

"  Snowdrop  approached,  and  was  kindly  received. 

" '  Have  you  seen  my  mother's  dove  chain  ?'  asked  the  child. 

" '  I  am  Queen  Kornor,'  said  the  lady.  '  This  large  city  was 
once  located   on   a  beautiful   plain,  surrounded   by  hills.     The 


142  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

Giant  Drubb  became  angry  with  me  because  I  neglected  to 
invite  him  to  a  Christmas  dinner,  and  he  made  an  earthquake 
to  sink  us  beneath  the  sea,  while  I  was  chained  to  the  rock. 
Nothing  but  a  blow  from  his  iron  dagger  will  release  me.' 

" '  I  may  be  able  to  help  you,'  said  Snowdrop. 

" '  If  you  do,  I  will  take  you  to  a  wise  woman  who  lives  on 
the  mountain-side,  and  she  must  know  all  about  the  dove  chain. 
The  Giant  Drubb  lives  on  the  borders  of  the  Arabian  Desert. 
Pause  by  the  well  under  the  palm-tree.' 

"  It  was  not  easy  to  escape  from  the  mermaid  who  had  caught 
Snowdrop.  She  wished  to  present  her  to  Neptune,  she  said, 
and  she  could  not  afford  to  lose  her.  Then  Snowdrop  clasped 
her  arms  about  the  neck  of  the  lovely  mermaid  and  kissed  her, 
entreating  that  she  might  be  released. 

" '  I  must  find  the  dove  chain  for  my  mother,  who  is  watch- 
ing for  me  all  this  long  time,'  she  pleaded ;  and  the  mermaid 
made  not  another  word  of  objection,  but  carried  her  up  to  the 
shore.     The  mermaid  was  only  frolicsome. 

"  How  astonished  the  clove  mother  would  have  been  to  see 
her  child  carried  in  a  mermaid's  arms,  with  her  star-robe  crisp 
and  dry ! 

"  For  the  first  time  Snowdrop  remembered  to  use  her  ring 
by  wishing  herself  at  the  palm-tree,  and  she  found  herself  there 
sooner  than  any  steamboat  could  have  taken  her.  She  saw 
nobody,  and  looked  down  into  the  well.  A  rose-colored  bubble 
came  up  to  the  surface  from  the  cool  depths. 

" '  Don't  pause  to  eat  in  the  grove,'  said  a  voice,  and  the 
bubble  sank. 

"  Next  a  blue  bubble  appeared. 


Blinding  Giant  Drubb.  145 

" '  Throw  water  over  Drubb's  heads,'  and  the  second  bubble 
sank. 

"  Then  up  came  a  green  bubble. 

" '  Carry  the  enchanted  waters  of  this  well.' 

"  '  What  shall  I  carry  it  in  ?' 

" '  In  me,'  replied  the  green  bubble,  and  popped  out  of  the 
well  upon  the  grass — a  beautiful  flask. 

"  Snowdrop  walked  through  the  grove,  thinking  she  would 
soon  finish  the  matter.  Stately  trees  arched  overhead  to  form 
a  cool,  green  vault;  the  turf  was  velvet  smooth,  and  along  the 
paths  were  spread  tempting  fruits. 

"  Snowdrop  recalled  the  words  of  the  rosy  bubble,  and  walked 
on,  turning  neither  to  the  right  nor  left. 

"  Giant  Drubb  was  seated  in  an  immense  arm-chair,  hewn 
out  of  granite,  which  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  surround- 
ing country,  so  that  he  should  know  what  was  going  on.  Just 
as  Snowdrop  .crept  near,  an  ostrich  ran  in  front  of  the  giant 
and  paused.  Drubb  stared  at  the  ostrich  with  all  the  eyes  in 
all  his  heads,  because  it  was  unusual  to  see  an  ostrich  there. 

" '  Come  a  step  nearer,  and  I  will  catch  you  in  my  hand. 
You  would  make  me  a  dainty  breakfast,'  cried  Drubb. 

"  Snowdrop  climbed  behind  him,  and  sprinkled  his  first  two 
heads  on  the  right  with  the  enchanted  water.  This  blinded  his 
eyes ;  and  always  hiding  behind  the  heads  already  sprinkled, 
she  contrived  to  anoint  the  whole  ten. 

"'Dear  me! — is  it  night?'  growled  Drubb.  'I  thought  the 
sun  was  still  hours  high.     How  short  the  davs  are  growing !' 

"  Snowdrop  slipped  the  dagger  from  its  sheath  at  his  side, 
and  wished  herself  away  from  the  terrible  monster.     The  mer- 

K 


146  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

maid  had  waited  for  her  on  the  shore,  amusing  herself  by  sing- 
ing sweet  songs  to  bewitch  the  fishermen. 

"  Down  they  went  through  the  rushing  waters,  and  this  time 
Snowdrop  was  not  afraid.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  use 
Drubb's  dagger  on  the  cruel  chain  which  bound  the  lady,  but 
Snowdrop  was  surprised  when  the  whole  city  rose  to  its  place 
on  the  blooming  plain,  the  houses  marble  and  stone,  instead  of 
clam-shells  and  cowries. 

"  You  see  Giant  Drubb  had  made  a  sort  of  off-hand  earth- 
quake to  immerse  the  city ;  no  one  ever  heard  of  a  town 
coming  back  that  had  been  swallowed  by  a  real,  terrible  earth- 
quake. The  Queen  was  very  grateful.  She  lost  no  time  in 
leading  Snowdrop  up  the  steep  path  to  the  wise  woman  on 
the  mountain.  They  found  her  in  a  hut  perched  on  a  crag, 
where  a  goat  might  climb — and,  indeed,  she  was  as  nimbie 
and  sure-footed  as  any  goat.  She  liked  to  live  near  the  stars, 
where  the  thunder  crashed  and  the  lightning  seemed  to  leap 
from  rock  to  rock. 

"  The  visitors  entered  her  hut,  where  an  owl  was  perched  on 
one  side  of  the  hearth,  and  an  eagle  on  the  other. 

"  '  Who  have  we  here  ?'  she  muttered,  peering  at  Snowdrop. 

" '  I  will  give  you  my  ring  if  you  tell  me  where  the  dove 
chain  is,'  said  Snowdrop,  eagerly. 

"  The  wise  woman  smiled,  and  smoothed  the  little  girl's  hair. 

" '  I  live  nearer  the  clear  heavens  than  those  below.  The 
stars  are  my  jewels,'  she  said. 

"  '  This  dear  child  has  rescued  me  from  prison,  and  in  re- 
turn she  desires  to  find  her  mother's  clove  chain,'  said  Queen 
Kornor. 


The  Wise  Woman. 


'47 


"' Yes,  yes — I  know.  Madam  Skimp  did  all  that  mischief 
because  she  could  not  marry  the  fairy  king ;  and  it  was  his 
gift.      I   hear  all   the   news   from   my   two   friends  here.' 

"  '  I  saw  Skimp  fly  away  with  the  chain  in  the  form  of  a 
hawk,1  said   the  eagle. 

"  The  wise  woman  sprinkled  some  dried  herbs  on  a  brazier, 
and  a  white  cloud  rose  in  the  hut,  so  that  the  two  visitors  could 
not  see  her  at  all.  When  the  smoke  cleared,  she  shook  her 
head. 

"'Go  to  the  fairy  king.  Perhaps  Skimp  will  tell  you,  aft- 
er all.' 


148  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

"  The  eagle  offered  to  carry  the  guests  down  the  mountain 
on  his  back,  and  they  found  the  ride  very  pleasant.  Snowdrop 
could  only  think  of  her  lonely  mother  now,  who  must  watch 
anxiously  for  her  return,  and  so  decided  to  seek  the  fairy  realm 
at  once.  * 

"  Everything  was  in  confusion ;  the  fairy  queen  had  been 
stung  by  a  gnat,  which  caused  her  death,  and  the  king  was 
again  a  widower. 

" '  That  comes  of  marrying  beneath  his  rank.  She  was  only 
Skimps  maid  of  honor,'  cried  the  gossips. 

"  Snowdrop  heard  them,  for  she  stood  behind  the  bluebell 
in  which  they  were  swinging. 

"  '  Bless  me !'  exclaimed  one,  raising  her  eye-glass,  which  was 
made  of  the  eye-hole  of  a  cambric  needle  set  in  steel;  'who 
comes  here  ?     It  is  Madam  Skimp,  and  no  other !' 

"  Sure  enough,  it  was  Skimp,  who  had  heard  of  the  queens 
death,  and  decided  to  return  to  the  court,  in  hopes  of  winning 
the  seat  on  the  throne  beside  the  kino;. 

"  Skimp  was  lovely.  She  had  bathed  her  face  in  flower-dew ; 
her  robe  was  sewed  out  of  gold  leaf,  with  a  boddice  formed  of 
a  single  ruby,  and  trimmed  with  diamond  dust.  Her  hair  was 
combed  into  a  high  waterfall ;  her  hat  was  made  of  a  beetle, 
and  her  fan  was  dandelion  down.  Never  was  a  more  charming- 
toilet  seen ;  the  other  fairy  ladies  nearly  died  of  envy  when 
she  minced  along,  waving  her  fan  in  a  fashionable  manner ; 
and  in  kneeling  before  the  king  she  showed  two  little  gold 
boots,  with  red  heels,  to  great  advantage. 

"  The  king  thought  he  had  never  seen  Skimp  look  so  pretty ; 
and  when  he  bade  her  rise  from  her  knees,  he  proposed  to  drink 


The  Dove  Chain  Recovered.  149 

her  health  in  amber  honey,  which  was  served  in  beech-nut 
cups.  Although  he  was  still  dressed  in  mourning  (a  sable 
moth's  cloak),  as  a  token  of  respect  for  the  departed  queen, 
he  had  not  sipped  all  of  the  honey  before  lie  made  Skimp  an 
offer  of  marriage. 

"The  honey  sweetened  her  temper  wonderfully — that  or  pros- 
perity— and  she  began  to  feel  ashamed  of  her  naughtiness. 

"  Snowdrop  made  her  presence  known,  for  the  little  people 
were  so  much  absorbed  in  their  own  affairs  that  they  had 
not  noticed  her. 

"  The  king  invited  her  to  be  seated  on  the  soft  moss,  as  his 
chair  was  too  small  for  a  mortal ;  and  you  have  no  idea  how 
big  and  clumsy  she  appeared  among  the  Fairies,  quite  as  great 
a  contrast  as  Giant  Drubb  was  to  herself. 

'"  Dear,  good  Fairies,  I  have  been  all  over  the  earth  to  find 
my  mothers  dove  chain,  and  I  need  your  assistance.' 

" '  I  should  be  ashamed  of  my  subjects  if  they  did  not  help 
you,'  replied  the  king.  '  Every  fairykin  must  hold  up  a  hand 
in  token  of  willingness  to  aid  Snowdrop.' 

"  Each  one  held  up  a  tiny  fist,  and  Queen  Skimp  raised 
hers  with  the  rest.  Why  not?  She  was  willing  to  restore  the 
chain  since  she  had  been  sweetened  with  the  honey. 

'"Let  by-gones  be  by-gones,'  she  said.  'If  I  was  not  the 
fourth  wrife,  I  am  the  fifth.' 

"  She  flew  away  on  her  gauze  wings,  and  returned  in  a  trice, 
carrying  the  chain,  which  she  gave  to  Snowdrop,  and  kissed 
her  in  the  bargain. 

"  Snowdrop  left  the  Fairies  in  the  midst  of  wedding  gayeties, 
thankful  that  Skimp's  ambition  had  been  at  last  gratified,  since 


150 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


this  had  led  her  to  give  up  the  chain,  as  well  as  to  become 
a  good  sprite  at  last. 

"  Danger  was  not  over  for  the  dove  mother's  little  daughter. 
Scarcely  had  she  quitted  the  fairy  kingdom  when  she  heard 
behind  her  a  rumbling  like  distant  thunder.  This  sound  was 
caused  by  Giant  Drubb,  who  was  tramping  after  the  bold  girl 
who  had  robbed  him  of  his  iron  dao-o-er  to  release  Oueen  Kor- 
nor  from  her  enchantment  under  the  sea. 

"  Snowdrop,  with  the  aid  of  her  ring,  changed  herself  into  a 
lily,  which  held  the  chain  in  its  cup  securely,  and  the  giant 
strode  on  without  noticing  the  flower  trembling  on  its  stalk. 
Afterwards  she  resumed  her  journey,  and  walked  behind  the 
giant,  keeping  out  of  range  of  his  many  eyes,  that  looked 
in  all  directions. 


Queen   Puff  ends  her  Story.  I  5  i 

"When  Snowdrop  reached  the  canal  and  the  meadow,  Giant 
Drubb  was  still  striding  forward,  looking  before  him,  like  a 
great  many  other  big  people;  and  perhaps  he  is  still  marching 
around  the  world,  for  Snowdrop  saw  him  no  more. 

"How  quickly  she  ran  across  the  meadow  to  the  village! 
How  gladly  the  dove  mother  and  Aunt  Katrine  welcomed  her  ! 
Otto  was  still  cross  over  Snowdrop's  long  absence,  of  whom  lie 
was  fond  in  his  way. 

"  Next  morning  he  went  to  his  labor  in  the  fields,  and  Aunt 
Katrine  stood  all  the  copper  pots  of  the  kitchen  in  a  row  to  be 
freshly  scoured.  At  that  moment  Snowdrop  pulled  her  mother 
gently  away  through  the  door.  Hastily  throwing  the  chain 
around  the  dove  mother's  neck,  she  wished  to  become  a  carrier- 
pigeon  at  the  same  moment,  and  they  rose  in  the  air  together. 

"  Otto  was  binding  sheaves,  and  did  not  notice  that  two 
birds  hovered  overhead.  A  ring  fell  before  him,  and  he  dis- 
covered a  pile  of  gold.  He  missed  wife  and  child,  but  the  pile 
of  gold  remained. 

"  They  then  flew  towards  the  sun  and  their  kindred. 

"  Aunt  Katrine  and  the  village  people  thought  that  they 
were  dead,  and  had  gone  to  heaven." 

Queen  Puff  was  in  high  good -humor  with  herself  and  the 
rest  of  the  company  when  she  had   finished  her  story. 

"  It  comes  from  the  Old  Country,  and  is  all  the  better  for 
that,  to  my  fancy.  Let  me  hear  what  your  Indian  and  Yankee 
Fairies  have  to  say  after  the  '  Dove  Maiden." " 

"  Hoighty-toighty !  I  could  make  up  a  better  story  with  my 
eyes  shut,"  retorted   Nip. 


152  The  Cat  skill  Fairies. 

Then  Queen  Puff  grew  quite  red  in  the  face,  and  was  about 
to  reply,  when  the  attention  of  all  was  diverted. 

In  Job's  picture-gallery  there  was  a  small  print  of  an  oasis 
in  the  desert,  where  one  slender  palm-tree  towered  aloft,  shad- 
ing the  well  which  afforded  refreshment  to  a  company  of 
Arabs  and  camels.  '  This  palm-tree  began  to  rustle  and  sway 
gently,  as  if  disturbed  by  a  breeze,  as  indeed  it  was — the  breeze 
of  Nip's  influence. 

"  A  great  deal  has  been  said  about  America  this  evening," 
said  the  tree.  "  Let  me  describe  how  the  first  cocoa-nut  was 
discovered. 


The  Afflicted  Rajah.  153 


THE  FIRST   COCOA-NUT 

"A  Prince  once  lived  in  the  East,  who  fell  ill,  just  like  the 
poorest  of  his  subjects.  The  Prince  in  those  countries  was 
called  a  Rajah,  which  means  much  the  same  thing.  There  was 
no  help  for  it;  disease  had  entered  the  Rajah's  house  of  stucco, 
with  the  teak-wood  balconies,  as  if  he  were  a  humble  laborer, 
living  in  a  hut,  and  eating  a  handful  of  rice  a  day. 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  him  ?  Nobody  knew,  and  wise 
doctors  came  miles  and  miles  to  consult  over  the  mysterious 
malady  and  discover  a  remedy,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  The 
wise  doctors,  as  well  as  all  the  subjects,  believed  that  Maha- 
Laka,  a  great  demon,  had  thus  afflicted  the  Rajah  because  he- 
was  a  good  man. 

"  There  was  really  nothing  more  to  be  done,  since  the  physi- 
cians were  at  their  wits'  end. 

"  The  Rajah  did  not  forget  to  say  his  prayers,  however  great 
his  sufferings ;  so  he  went  to  the  temple,  offered  a  whole  pyra- 
mid of  swreet  flowers  on  the  altar,  according  to  the  formula 
of  the  Buddhist  religion,  and  repeated  the  Buddha-Sarana. 

"  Then  he  came  home  to  the  teak-wood  palace,  laid  down  on 
his  mat,  and  slept  for  seven  days.  Slaves  hovered  about  him, 
burning  perfumes  in  braziers,  and  waving  fans  of  peacock 
feathers  to  cool  the  chamber,  yet  none  dared  to  disturb  his 
slumbers. 


154  The  Cat  ski  11  Fairies. 

"  The  Rajah  was  dreaming  a  wonderful  dream  all  this  while. 
He  saw  a  beach,  and  water  beyond.  Waves  broke  on  the 
strand,  and  a  thousand  dazzling  lights  shifted  over  the  sparkling 
blue  surface.  It  seemed  a  curious  fact  that  when  the  Rajah 
dipped  his  hand  into  the  clear,  cool-looking  water  to  drink,  the 
flavor  was  salt  and  disagreeable. 

"  Gazing  around  on  the  strange  scene,  he  discovered  a  grove 
of  trees,  rooted  on  the  very  brink  where  land  and  water  met 
— the  spray  clashed  over  their  trunks.  These  trees  rose  in  slen- 
der columns,  like  mine,  with  a  crown  of  graceful  foliage  at  the 
top.  Yes,  it  was  wonderful !  While  the  Rajah  marvelled,  a 
cobra-de-capello,  the  snake  sacred  to  the  Buddhists,  glided  to 
his  side,  raised  its  spectacled  hood,  thrust  out  its  blue,  forked 
tongue,  bowed  its  head  three  times,  and  lapped  water  from  the 
leaf  reserved  for  the  Prince's  private  use.  Then  the  cobra  dis- 
appeared in  the  jungle.  This  was  proof  enough  of  Buddha's 
favor. 

"  A  cloud  gathered  close  about  him,  which  the  Prince  tried 
in  vain  to  pierce,  growing  darker  and  darker  until  it  was  night. 
He  was  afraid  of  this  cloud,  and  fixed  his  eyes  anxiously  on  a 
rift  which  clove  the  vapor  like  sunshine.  Out  of  this  splendor 
grew  an  old  man,  whose  face  was  calm,  like  the  moon,  and  he 
sat  on  the  mist  with  his  feet  crossed.  The  Rajah  knew  that 
this  must  be  Maha-Sarana,  the  father  of  Buddha;  so  he  fell 
on  his  face,  pressing  his  forehead  to  the  ground  in  the  way 
his  own  subjects  did  when  approaching  him. 

"'This  is  a  sacred  tree,'  said  the  old  man,  pointing  to  the 
grove  by  the  sea.  '  You  have  failed,  through  ignorance,  to 
show  it  the  respect  due  to  all  created  things.    See !    The  deeply 


The  Rajah" s  Dream.  155 

serrated  leaf  distinguishes  it  as  the  favorite  of  Buddha.  The 
snake  was  kind  to  Buddha  while  he  was  on  earth,  and  there- 
fore, since  the  cobra  has  drank  from  your  leaf,  you  shall  re- 
cover health  by  obeying  my  commands. 

"'In  the  South  lies  your  remedy.  A  journey  of  one  hun- 
dred hours  will  bring  you  to  the  trees  seen  by  you  in  this 
vision.  Eat  of  the  fruit,  which  must  be  your  sole  diet  until  the 
Great  Moon  has  twice  given  and  refused  her  light.  Disease 
shall  leave  thee,  but  forget  not  sweet  sacrifice  to  that  Brahma 
of  all  Brahmas  to  whom  even  demons  pay  homage.  The  fruit, 
which  is  partly  a  transparent  fluid  and  partly  innocent  food, 
grows  on  the  top  ;    by  fire  alone  can  it  be  obtained.' 

"A  sound  as  of  a  thousand  tomtoms  broke  on  the  Rajah's 
ear,  and  he  awoke. 

"  The  pious  Prince  at  once  arose,  placed  the  palms  of  his 
hands  on  his  forehead,  and  bowed  himself  in  prayer  to  Ossah 
Pollah  Dewyo,  the  ruler  and  creator  of  all  gods  and  demons, 
and  of  the  flat  earth  besides. 

"  Next  an  offering  of  fruits,  betel-leaves,  and  flowers  was  left 
under  a  Bogaha-tree  ;  and  it  was  proclaimed  that  the  invalid 
would  make  a  journey. 

"  Forth  came  the  retinue  of  warriors  and  slaves — forth  came 
the  wife  from  her  zenana,  wrapped  in  shawls  and  veiled  with 
gauze,  through  which  twinkled  the  jewels  of  a  princess,  attend- 
ed by  troops  of  dancing -girls  and  waiting -women. 

"  The  Rajah  climbed  a  silver  ladder  to  the  velvet  howdah 
on  the  elephant's  back ;  the  Princess  was  seated  in  her  litter 
of  ivory  and  fragrant  woods,  and  the  royal  procession  moved  in 
obedience  to  the  command  of  the  old  man  seen  in  the  dream. 


156 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


''•  Through  rivers,  forests,  valleys,  and  the  tangled  jungle  our 
Rajah  made  his  way  to  the  South. 

"  At  last  he  saw  the  wide  expanse  of  sea,  the  blue  waters ; 
and  on  the  margin  the  trees  with  slender  pillars  of  trunk  and 
feathered  crown.  This  crest  served  as  a  parasol  to  shade  the 
fruit  from  the  vertical  rays  of  the  sun,  and  directly  beneath  , 
hung  the  purple  and  yellow  clusters.  No  human  being  lived 
on  this  wild  shore ;  only  leopards,  elephants,  lions,  and  sloths 
roamed  about.  Who  could  climb  the  tree  ?  No  one,  sure- 
ly. The  Rajah  had  a  fire  built ;  flames  girdled  and  sapped/ 
its  life  with  intense  heat,  until  the  crown  trembled,  wavered, 
and  fell.  Out  ran  innumerable  creatures  that  had  found  a 
home  in  its  branches  —  large  blue  scorpions,  brown  centi- 
pedes, black  and  green  beetles,  tarantulas,  the  polonga,  and 
rat-snake. 

"  Descending  from  the  elephant,  the  Rajah   approached  the 


The  Raj 'a If s  Gratitude,  157 

beach,  and  tasted  the  water.  It  was  salt  and  bitter  to  the  pal- 
ate, like  it  had  been  in  his  dream. 

"  The  first  cocoa-nut  was  broken,  and  forth  gushed  the  milk, 
as  pure  and  deliciously  cool  as  crystal.  The  Rajah's  life  was 
saved  by  this  food. 

"  In  his  gratitude  he  made  known  to  all  the  world  that  he 
had  discovered  a  tree  the  fruit  of  which  was  renewed  health, 
the  leaf  adapted  to  making-  huts,  mats,  fans,  and  thread,  the  sap 
a  refreshing  liquor,  and  the  pith  a  nutritious  meal." 

In  the  picture  the  Arabs  watered  their  camels,  and  prepared 
to  cross  the  desert;  but  they  got  no  farther  in  their  move- 
ments, because  they  were  taken  in  those  attitudes. 

"  I  can't  make  out  all  that  you  say,"  Job  remarked,  looking 
at  the  palm-tree.     "  Who  was  Buddha  ?" 

"  If  you  have  heard  of  the  heathen  you  know  what  I  mean. 
The  Rajah  was  a  heathen,  and  worshipped  the  god  Buddha,  as 
a  great  many  people  do  in  the  East.  The  missionaries  go  to 
those  lands  to  teach  them  better,  and  tell  them  about  Christ." 

Then  the  palm-tree  became  part  of  the  picture  again. 

The  tiny  visitors  grew  restless;  as  for  Nip  he  appeared  and 
disappeared  continually,  now  climbing  among  the  old  blue  ware 
of  the  open  cupboard,  now  dancing  on  Grandfather's  spectacle- 
case,  now  seating  himself  in  the  steel  thimble  on  the  shelf  as  if 
it  were  a  tub.  However,  Job  and  the  Fairies  did  not  expect  Nip 
to  behave  well.  The  Angora  cat  gave  a  leap  in  the  air,  and 
came  down  with  her  fur  standing  on  end. 

"  It  must  be  time  for  the  Fairy  of  the  Cascade,"  she  purred. 

"Bang!  bang!"  went  the  old  clock,  as  if  in  answer. 


158  The  Cat  ski  II  Fairies. 

Then  it  seemed  to  Job  that  the  kitchen  wall  melted  away, 
and  he  saw  the  fall,  framed  in  the  ravine,  with  the  hollowed 
space  below  where  he  had  crept  many  a  time  to  catch  the 
spray.  The  banks  were  crusted  with  snow,  dazzling  and  pure ; 
every  tree  and  shrub  sparkled  with  frozen  drops ;  and  the  water 
did  not  leap  over  the  crag  as  in  summer,  but  formed  a  sheet  of 
ice,  as  if  Nature  had  fashioned  out  of  the  rocks  a  great  organ, 
and  these  were  pipes  for  the  winds  to  play. 

Two  hands  linked  together  by  an  ice  chain  opened  the  doors 
of  the  cascade — it  seemed  the  most  ordinary  thing  possible  to 
Job  just  then — and  he  looked  into  the  recesses  of  the  hills. 
There  sat  the  lovely  Fairy  of  the  Cascade  bewailing  her  im- 
prisonment by  cruel  Winter. 

"  He  says  it  does  me  good,  and  makes  me  value  my  free- 
dom in  the  spring  all  the  more,"  she  moaned.  "  How  I  love 
the  sun  for  coming  to  release  me  !  At  present  he  is  busy 
in  other  parts  of  the  world,  you  know.  Winter  is  the  most 
suspicious  tyrant.  He  would  not  allow  me  to  visit  you  with 
the  other  Fairies,  because  he  did  not  trust  me  that  I  would 
not  run  away  and  make  myself  a  new  channel  in  some  other 
ravine." 

Job  longed  to  ask  for  his  present,  but  was  too  shy. 

Then  a  little  voice  behind  him  —  it  sounded  like  Nip's  — 
inquired  : 

"  Where  is  Job's  Christmas  gift  ?" 

The  Fairy  looked  kindly  at  the  boy. 

"  My  gift  is  the  magic  pole,  to  help  one  leap  ravines  and 
over  the  largest  locks.  I  shall  save  it  for  some  other  child, 
now,  because  you  already  own  it." 


Voices  from  the  Outside  World.  159 

"  Oil,  no  I  don't — not  even  a  stick,"  protested  Job. 

"  My  dear  Job,  the   magic   pole   is  cheerfulness,  which   helps 

mortals  to  jump  over  trials  and  sorrows,  forgetting  their  own 
selfish  pleasure.      This  you  already  own.'1 

Job  was  puzzled  beyond  measure.  The  chained  hands  closed 
the  ice  door  of  the  cascade,  and  the  wall  of  the  kitchen  was  in 
its  proper  place. 

"Bless  me!  The  children  will  not  get  their  dream -thread 
in  time,"  said   Puff,  bustling  about. 

"  A  merry  Christmas  to  you,  Job,"  piped  nil  the  little 
voices. 

The  Summer  Fairies  mingled  with  winter's  frosty  elves ; 
Puff  and  the  Laurel  Sprites  rose  in  a  brilliant  cloud.  It  made 
Job  giddy  to  watch  them — red  and  green  and  pink  in  circles 
like  a  dissolving  rainbow  —  until  he  shut  his  eyes  tight  to  es- 
cape the  dazzling  radiance.      Hark  !     Who  called  ? 

Job  was  sitting  in  Grandfather's  chair,  which  was  drawn  up 
to  the  hearth,  where  the  log  still  flickered ;  and  the  friendly  sun 
was  not  only  peeping  in  the  window-,  but  streaming  across  his 
face.  Evidently  it  was  day — Christmas-day.  Where  were  Nip 
and  Queen   Puff?     Gone. 

The  Angora  cat  stood  at  Job's  feet,  staring  at  him  with  all 
her  eyes  ;  the  shell  lay  on  the  shelf,  the  clock  ticked  in  its 
corner. 

Job  roused  himself,  and  went  to  the  window.  Snow  had 
ceased  to  fall;  the  sky  was  blue  and  clear.  He  raised  the  sash. 
Outside  a  white  field  stretched  almost  unbroken  by  line  of 
fence  or  bush  ;    the  flakes  had  fallen  all   night. 

"Holloa!"  came  the  sound  again,  echoed  by  all   the  hills. 


i6o 


The  Catskill  Fairies. 


Jobs  heart  began  to  beat  hard.  They  were  calling  him ! 
Was  he  to  be  dug  out  of  the  drift  safely?  He  put  his  hands 
to  his  mouth,  shaped  them  like  a  trumpet,  and  sent  a  cheery 
shout  ringing  back.  Then  he  danced  around  the  kitchen ; 
and,  because  he  must  do  something  in  his  joy  at  hearing 
voices  again,  he  snatched  up  the  cat,  and  hugged  her  until 
pussy  yelled  aloud  with  wrath. 

How  about  the  poor  cow  and  the  chickens  ?  Job  strove  to 
trace  the  path  he  had  made  with  so  much  labor  the  day  before, 
but  the  snow  had  covered  it.  The  cow  must  wait  longer  for 
her  breakfast  than  on  the  previous  day.  In  the  meanwhile  Job 
was  a  hero  without  knowing  it.  The  night  before  news  had 
spread  from  the  village  to  farm  after  farm  that  the  boy  was 
alone   on   the    mountain,  and   when   the    snow    ceased   all  were 


Grandfathers  Arrival.  161 

ready   to   turn    out    with    sleighs    and    ploughs   to    force    a   way 
through   to  rescue   him. 

Grandfather  could  neither  sleep  nor  eat  for  thinking  of  what 
evil  might  have  befallen  Job  in  his  absence.  Perhaps  he  had 
left  the  shelter  of  his  home  to  seek  help  at  some  distant  house, 
and  had  perished  in  the  storm!  The  old  man's  fears  grew  with 
the  drifts,  as  it  were.  Many  hands  make  light  work;  the  farm- 
ers toiled  with  a  will,  and  cheered  up  Grandfather.  They  found 
an  unexpected  ally  where  the  task  seemed  most  difficult.  The 
still  cold  which  nipped  Job's  toes  as  the  fire  went  down  per- 
formed for  him  a  better  service — it  froze  the  crust  of  the  snow- 
so  that  a  sleigh  could  pass  over  it.  This  was  the  party  whose 
call  Job  heard. 

There  never  was  a  boy  quite  so  glad  to  see  faces  again  as 
Job  was,  and  to  have  Grandfather  among  them  too.  All  the 
farmers  laughed  as  if  it  were  a  great  joke,  and  shook  Job  by 
the  shoulders;  that  was  their  way  of  expressing  satisfaction. 
Grandfather  felt  of  the  boy  carefully  to  judge  if  he  were  frost-, 
bitten  or  hurt ;  then  he  sank  down  into  his  chair,  and  ex- 
claimed : 
,"  Wal,  this  never  happened  to  us  afore  !" 

You  may  be  sure  that  the  cow  and  the  chickens  were 
reached  in  a  trice,  with  all  those  strong  arms  to  clear  the  way : 
and  by  the  time  that  was  done  the  tea-kettle  sang  merrily, 
the  table  was  spread,  and  Grandfather  was  engaged  in  making- 
some  of  his  famous  pancakes.  The  neighbors  stayed  for  a 
while,  and  the  Angora  cat  felt  herself  quite  in  the  shade  with 
so   many  visitors. 

Job    stood    at   the   window   when    the    sky    had    assumed    the 

L 


1 62  The  Catskill  Fairies. 

green  tinge  of  a  cold  twilight.  He  was  thinking  of  his  fairy 
visitors,  and  wishing  that  they  would  return. 

The  Lady  of  the  Cascade  was  in  her  winter  prison — one  knew 
exactly  where  to  rind  her;  but  roguish  Nip  and  busy  Puff,  with 
her  endless  spinning,  were  gone. 

"  The  Fairies  came  to  see  me  last  night — because  I  was  lone- 
ly, I  guess,"  said  the  boy,  gravely.  "  They  told  me,  oh,  such 
wonderful  things,  if  I  could  remember  'em  all." 

Grandfather  looked  at  Job  over  the  rim  of  his  spectacles. 
To  tell  the  truth,  he  was  afraid  that  his  grandson  was  a  little 
cracked. 

"  There  was  Nip  from  the  Berkshire  Hills,  and  the  Indian 
Fairies  who  live  here  still  —  they  told  about  the  witch  child, 
and — " 

"  Pooh  !"  interrupted  Grandfather,  looking  down  again  at  the 
open  pocket-book  where  lay  the  money  he  had  brought.  "  You 
were  asleep  and  dreamed  it." 

Job  was  so  astonished  and  indignant  that  he  could  not  utter 
one  word.  What  did  Grandfather  know  about  it?  Perhaps. the 
shell  and  the  cat  had  not  talked  !  He  would  be  saying  that 
next. 

After  Grandfather  had  gone  to  bed,  our  hero  stole  into  the 
kitchen  to  see  if  there  were  an  elfish  company  gathered  around 
the  hearth.  No,  the  fire  blazed  and  flickered,  and  had  the  chim- 
ney all  to  itself.     That  was  all. 

'  You  know  about  the  Fairies,  don't  you  ?"  job  whispered  to 
the  old  clock. 

"  Tick,  tick,  tick  I"  said  the  clock,  which  might  mean  any- 
thing, or  just  nothing  at  all. 


Conclusion. 


16 


"  Pussy,  what  did  Nip  say?" 

The  Angora  cat  lay  curled  in  a  white  ball  on  the  chair. 
"Miouw!"  she  answered,  blinking  stupidly. 
Job  crept  away  slowly.     Was  Grandfather  right,  after  all,  when 
he  said  it  was  a  dream  ? 

This  is  our  story.  If  any  little  boy  or  girl  who  visits  the 
Catskills  next  summer  will  look  for  Job,  not  many  miles  from 
the  Mountain  House,  he  may  be  found,  shy  and  barefooted, 
wearing  the  jacket  made  out  of  Grandfather's  old  plum-colored 
coat.  If  he  should  not  be  recognized  by  this  description,  the 
chances  are  ten  to  one  that  the  Angora  cat  will  be  close  be 
side  him. 


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